All the Reviews
Welcome to the Book Review, Roxbury Readers! Here you will find the books I've reviewed which are available in our High School Library. Clicking on the title will bring you to other books in that genre that you may like to explore.
Happy Reading!
Accountable: The True Story of a Racist Social Media Account by Dashka Slater 371.829 SLA
The true story of the power of words, the force of hate, and the influence of social media. One young boy creates a racist intagram account and targets specific Black girls in his school. He does it, as he say, to get laughs, but when the girls find out, it becomes very, very serious. The 'harmers' and the 'harmed' are both thrown into a whirlwind - neither side has the ability to cope, school officials continually do the wrong thing, parents have no idea how to handle it, and everyone is left feeling overwrought
Nonfiction, racism, social media
Read this if you liked: The 57 Bus,
The Measure by Nikki Erlick FIC-ADULT ERL
Everyone in the world wakes up to a box with a string in it. The string tells you when you will die. If you choose to open your box, you'll see if you're a 'long stringer' or a 'short stringer'. The rest of the book, told in multiple voices, relates the chaos the world is thrown into, along with the prejudices, depression, second guessing, suicide pacts, as well as the dare-devil antics of the long stringers. But the bigger question becomes how valuable is a life, any life, no matter the duration?
SciFI, Dystopian, Mystery
Read this if you liked: The Immortalists, In Five Years, Midnight Library, Two Lives of Lydia Bird
Story of a Girl by Sarah Zarr FIC-REALISTIC ZAR
A coming of age story about a 13 year old girl who is raped by her brother's 17 year old friend. Years later, she's still bullied at school, called names, her father won't speak to her, and has extremely low self esteem. All she wants to do is get out of her town. She spends a summer working in the same pizzeria with her rapist, which is not believeable, but she grows and figures out how to stand up for herself.
Realistic
Read this if you liked: Speak, Wintergirls, Girl in Pieces, All the Bright Places, Go Ask Alice
The Davenports by Krystal marquis FIC-HISTORICAL MAR
Told in four POVs taking place in the late 1800's, based on a true story. Four young ladies - sisters from a wealthy Black family, their maid, and their friend, also from a high social standing. Each character is expected to be something specific, but each wants to go their own way. The women were strong and determined to do what they wanted. Lots of love, history, and feminism.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Downstairs Maid, Luck of the Titanic, Angel of Greenwood, Fountains of Silence
As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh FIC-HISTORICAL KAT
Salama Kassab was a pharmacy student when the cries for freedom broke out in Syria. She still had her parents and her big brother; she still had her home. She had a normal teenager’s life. Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: All My Rage, An Emotion of Great Delight, The Next New Syrian Girl
Three Kisses, One Midnight by Roshani Chokshi FIC-SUPERNATURAL CHO
Told in three parts, each narrated by a different character, each telling their own story about finding love with the aid of a love potion, by midnight on Halloween. This year at Moon Ridge High, a group of friends known as The Coven will weave art, science, and magic during a masquerade ball unlike any other. Onny, True, and Ash believe everything is in alignment to bring them the affection, acceptance, and healing that can only come from romance―with a little help from Onny’s grandmother’s love potion.
Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: Blackout, Meet Cute, Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches, These Witches Don't Burn
Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken FIC-FANTASY BRA
The books centered around Arthurian legend, sorceresses, the undead, and lots of magic. Tamsin doesn't have the sight, although everyone around her does. She's trying to break her brother's curse, and along with Neve, a sorceress, and Emrys, another thief, and they end up in Avalon, the mythical resting place of King Arthur.
Fantasy, Mythology, Retellings
Read this if you liked: A Curse So Dark and Lovely, Cruel Prince, Magic Steeped in Poison, Spice Road
Forging Silver into Stars by Brigid Kemmerer FIC-FRANTASY- KEM
The story of Jax and Callyn, two poor village young adults, struggling to survive. Jax is a blacksmith whose father is a drunk, and Callyn is a baker whose parents are both dead. When a noble woman comes to town to ask Jax to hold a letter and will pay for his silence, Jax accepts. Enter Tycho, the handsome courier to the King, and Aleck, the nobleman who may or may not be committing treason. Jax and Callyn aren't sure who to believe, which side is right, and what's going on with the letters, they are only trying to survive and make some money. Lots of romance and thrills.
Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: A Curse So Dark and Lovely, Cruel Prince, Magic Steeped in Poison, Spice Road
Ryan and Avery by David Levithan FIC-ROMANCE LEV
Ryan is a gay boy, with very supportive parents, and Avery is a transgender boy with two less than supportive parents. The book chronicles their first ten dates, told in both POVs, and tells of their blossoming relationship, their insecurities, their tentativeness with each other, questions about love and sex, and just their beautiful selves. There are issues, and resolutions, but all in all, it's just such a beautiful story of two boys falling in love.
Romance, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Two Boys Kissing, Pumpkin, Simon vs The Homosapien Agenda, Heartstopper
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune FIC-ADULT KLU
The last human on earth is living with androids, but loving, caring, thinking, feeling androids who are very human. Victor's 'father', Gio, an android inventor, runs using a heart with a drop of Victor's blood. Victor finds a decommissioned android in a trash heap and brings him to life with a heart and blood. It's discovered that the android, Hap, and Gio have a shared past, one that brings Gio's past to the surface and uncovers lies that Gio told. It was part Frankenstein, part Wizard of Oz, part sci fi, part dystopian, and of course, because it's Klune, romance, hope, fear, humor, self-doubt, happiness, and lots of love.
Sci Fi, Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Starless Sea, Time Travelers Wife, City of Ember
After Dark with Roxie Clark by Brooke Lauren Davis FIC-MYSTERY DAV
The story of two sisters who couldn't be more different - Roxie, a goth chick who runs a haunted ghost tour in her town recounting stories of the cursed members of her own family who have died tragic deaths, and Skylar, the brilliant Yale freshman whose boyfriend, Colin, was tragically murdered and she simply cannot get past her all encompassing depression. She decides she has to solve the murder, and points a finger to Tristan, Colin's half brother and Roxie's crush. Roxie can't believe Tristan did it, and the two girls follow clues to try to figure it out.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: The Leaving, Broken Things, Hollow Fires, When You Look Like Us
Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn FIC-REALISTIC FLI
Nick is an abusive boyfriend and Caitlin is an insecure girl who thought no one would ever like it falls for it. It's good to see the boyfriend working through his anger, and realizing he was actually a monster to this girl and trying to change. I hope that actually happens out in the world. Seems a little easy for HS age, but the topic is definitely mature and appropriate for HS.
Realistic, Romance
Read this if you liked: Grown, Dreamland, Sweethearts, Stay, Take Me With You When You Go
Yellowface by B. F. Kuang FIC-ADULT KUA
June was a thief, and a liar, and kept trying to justify her actions when she was clearly in the wrong. She's so self-important, feeling that the rules don't apply to her and that she's above it all. She's still so young and she's jealous of her successful friend and feels like she should be an overnight success as well and can't figure out why she's not. The book does a good job showing us about race appropriation and reminding us the grass isn't always greener, even if it seems like it is.
Adult, Realistic
Read this if you liked: The Plot, The Other Black Girl, The Henna Wars, Firekeepers Daughter
Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe FIC-ROMANCE SHA
Penny and Tate have always clashed. Unfortunately, their mothers are lifelong best friends, so the girls’ bickering has carried throughout their lives. When Penny’s mother decides to become a living donor to Tate’s mom, things go cataclysmic. Because in order to help their families recover physically, emotionally, and financially, the Moms combine their households the summer before senior year. Penny and Tate make a pact: They’ll play nice. Be the drama-free daughters their mothers need through this scary and hopeful time.
Romance, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: I Kissed Shara Wheeler, She Gets the Girl, You Don't Have a Shot
The Summer of Bitter and Sweet by Jen Feruson FIC-REALISTIC FER
Lou will be working in her family’s ice cream shack with her ex-boyfriend and her former best friend, King, who is back in their Canadian prairie town after disappearing three years ago without a word. Lou then gets a letter from her biological father—a man she hoped would stay behind bars for the rest of his life and knows that she cannot meet him, no matter how much he insists. But when her family’s business comes under threat, she soon realizes that she can’t ignore her father forever.
Realistic
Read this if you liked: The Epic Story of Every Living Thing, The Rest of the Story
Improbable Magic For Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa FIC-FANTASY SCE
Very cute witchy rom-com which takes place in Salem around Halloween. Everyone is a witch and everyone is ok with that. Lots of LGBTQ characters who are all totally accepted, which is awesome. There’s also lots of underage drinking and pot smoking which seems to be accepted as well, which isn’t quite as awesome but reflects today’s teens, so I guess it’s accurate. There is an abusive relationship, and some stalkerish tendencies.
Fantasy, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: These Witches Don't Burn, Once and Future Witches, When the Moon Was Ours
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver FIC-ADULT HAM
Demon was being raised by a mother who loved him but who loved drugs and bad guys more. At the age of 5 he was fending for himself. His life was a misery, being thrown into the foster system and nothing ever went right for him. But he was a survivor, and he did his best to raise himself and try to stay out of trouble. Inspired by David Copperfield, this book won the Pulitzer.
Realistic, Adult
Read this if you liked: What I Carry, What Beauty There Is, Far From the Tree
We Deserve Monuments by Jas Hammonds FIC-REALISTIC HAM
Seventeen-year-old Avery is forced to move into the home of her terminally ill grandmother, Mama Letty. The tension between Avery’s mom and Mama Letty unearths past drama they refuse to talk about. While tempers flare in her avoidant family, Avery finds friendship in unexpected places: in Simone Cole, her next-door neighbor, and Jade Oliver, daughter of the town’s most prominent family—whose mother’s murder remains unsolved. The racist history of Bardell, Georgia is rooted in Avery’s family in ways she can’t even imagine.
Realistic, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Truth About White Lies, All Your Twisted Secrets, The Black Kids
Promise Boys by Nick Brooks FIC-MYSTERY BRO
Three students at Promise Prep have been accused of murdering their principal. They all seem guilty, but each one knows they're not. They team up together to try to find the real killer. Told in several different voices, everyone tells their story the way they see it.
Mystery, Diversity
Read this if you liked: Ace of Spades, One of Us is Lying, Spin, Let Me Hear a Rhyme
Dear Medusa by Olivia Cole FIC-VERSE COL
Alicia is a victim, and like women all over the news today, she is the one who is called a slut because her abuser is a popular teacher. How in the world could he be such a monster? But instead, like Medusa, she has become a monster who is continually asking for it. She can't often see past her rage. She had been a track star, and had friends, but now her life is empty until she finds others who seem to have similar pain. This was a wonderful book which told what young girls go through - even without the physical abuse - at the hands of men who prey on them.
Novel in Verse
Read this if you liked: Girl in Pieces, Scars, Speak, Lovely Bones, The Weight of Blood, Grown, Stay
Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson FIC-REALISTIC WIL
Frankie and Zeke, both loaners with a ton of baggage, are bored during the summer and create this poster that means nothing at all. But when they put it up all over town, people respond to it somehow. Soon, it becomes the object of news stories, tragedies, and an international sensation. People die and get hurt because of this poster, and through it all, Frankie and Zeke tell no one that they started it all. Fast foward 20 years and Frankie is still obsessed. A reporter wants to do a story about it, and she's finally ready to tell.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Tomorrow & Tomorrow & Tomorrow, This Will be Funny Someday, Don't Get Caught
Solito by Javier Zamora BIO ZAM
Javier is a nine year old boy sent on a three-thousand-mile journey from his small town in El Salvador, through Guatemala and Mexico, and across the U.S. border. He will leave behind his aunt and grandparents to reunite with a mother who left four years ago and a father he barely remembers. Traveling alone except for a group of strangers and a coyote hired to lead them to safety, Javier's trip is supposed to last two short weeks.
Biography, Diversity, Refugees
Read this if you liked: American Dirt, Unwanted, Refugee, Salt to the Sea, Americanah, Sisters of War
The Life and Crimes of Hoodie Rosen by Isaac Blum FIC-REALISTIC ROS
When Hoodie meets a local, non Jewish girl, and he falls head over heels. His family, and his entire community, shun him because of this. He is a very religious boy, but he can't get her out of his head and he can't stay away. The book also touches upon the violence against the Jews, and the bigotry they go through on a daily basis. Very informative and a look into a culture that does not have a great deal of literature available, especially in YA.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Lines We Cross, A Girl Like That, The Sun is Also a Star, Home is Not a Country
Fairy Tale by Stephen King FIC-SUSPENSE KIN
When Charlie is seventeen, he befriends Howard Bowditch, a recluse who lives in town. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder. Like all fairy tales (and he references many of them, many times), it starts out nice and ends up dark. There are wonderful characters and also evil ones. There is lots of light, but also dark. There is a princess, a prince, an evil emperor, and of course, a faithful dog.
Horror and Suspense
Read this if you liked: The Wizard of Oz, In the Lives of Puppets, Book of Night
Different for Boys by Patrick Ness FIC-REALISTIC NES
Ness redacts all the curses and sex acts that are mentioned in the book. Anthony says he's writing a story and certain words are necessary because it's real life, but they can't be shown because the characters in the book (all HS students) are too young to actually read them. Even though teens swear in books, it's nothing like what they do in real life. Anthony says it's the difference between 'shooting a bullet and throwing it.' The redaction makes it very powerful. Not only are you imagining what they are saying, it's showing the reality of these conversations. It's a very short story, only 90 pages or so, but the story itself is also one that needs to be told. Two boys hiding the fact that they're gay, but one fiercly denying it and blatenly homophobic in public.
Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Fahrenheit 451, Vox, I Am Malala
The Agathas by Kathleen Glasgow FIC-MYSTERY GLA
Alice and Iris, two girls who just want to disappear. They not only solve a mystery, they become friends. Each has issues - Alice, the lonely rich girl who no longer has friends or a boyfriend, and Iris, the poor, smart girl who is hiding a terrible secret. They run around town playing detective, get a lot of things wrong, but in the end, discover the murderer (of course!).
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Truly Devious, Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Inheritance Games
Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean FIC-FANTASY DEA
Devon is considered a princess in a secret society that look like humans but they live on books - actually eat books. They retain the book's knowledge and can actually taste the feeling of the book. This society has very few women and they are forced into arranged marriages to simply have children. Girls are coveted, boys usually end up becoming military enforcers, and then there are the dragons - children born who do not eat books but must live on human brains. **chills** Devon's son is a mind eater, and so begins the adventure.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: The Handmaid's Tale, Babel, Inkheart, Shadow and Bone
Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu FIC-ROMANCE LU
Winter Young, a 19 year old rock and roll superstar, has everything going for him. When a covert ops group approaches him to attempt to flush out a major crime boss, Winter joins forces with Sydney, the youngest spy in their operation. She's no nonsense and doesn't take any crap from Winter. They make a great team. There's lots of action, suspense, mystery, and of course romance.
Romance, Mystery
Read this if you liked: Etiquette and Espionage, I'd Tell You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You, Warcross
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala FIC-SUSPENSE LA
Mars, who is gender fluid, takes his sister Caroline's place at an exclusive summer camp after she dies a mysterious death. He goes there to see if he can find out what exactly happened to her. What he discovers is a mysterious group of girls who live at this camp essentially on their own, tending to their bee hives. He knows there is a connection, and it does come out in the end in a gruesome way. Mars is continually defending his actions, his right to be his own person, but ultra conservative Aspen Academy only wants conformity.
Horror, Thriller
Read this if you liked: The Weight of Blood, I Will Find You Again, Ace of Spades, Broken Things
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth FIC_SUSPENSE DAN
The story starts in 1902 when Brookhants School was a thriving school for girls. A group of students were all devotees of Mary MacLane's scandalous book of the time. After several deaths were attributed to the book, the school closes. Fast forward to today, and superstar Harper Harper is starring in a movie about Brookhants and all the eerie things that happened. They go to film at the school and mysterious, creepy things begin to happen.
Horror, Thriller
Read this if you liked: Within These Wicked Walls, Ninth House, Once and Future Witches
Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei FIC-REALISTIC GRA
Mickey James is a college freshman who is one of the best college hockey players in the country and the NHL is after him. Jayce is also a college freshman, at the same college, and number two in the country. They hate each other, until they don't. Mickey has a lot to live up to - his father and grandfather were both hockey royalty, and he doesn't know if he can keep the legacy going. He's afraid to come out to his family and he's afraid of what that will do to his hockey career.
Realistic, Sports, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Cafe Con Lychee, Check, Please!, The Passing Playbook, Heartstopper
The Skin I'm In by Sharon Flake FIC-REALISTIC FLA
Miss Saunders, whose skin is blotched with a rare skin condition, serves as a mirror to Maleeka Madison's struggle against the burden of low self-esteem that many black girls face when they're darker skinned. Miss Saunders is tough and through this, Maleeka learns to stand up to tough-talking Charlese.
Realistic
Read this if you liked: When You Look Like Us, Genesis Begins Again, The Vanishing Half
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng FIC-ADULT NG
Set in an American future where books are banned, Asian Americans are targeted and hated, and children are separated from their parents who do not seem to adhere to "American Values". An America where rights are diminished little by little until there are no rights left, and people live in a Nazi-esque world where neighbors report other neighbors for infractions to PACT - Preserving American Culture and Traditions. Bird's mother, a poet, had to flee their home because of a book she wrote. Bird and his father lead a very quiet, 'keep your head down and don't be noticed' life where they are afraid all of the time. One day Bird receives a cryptic letter in the mail that he knows is from his mother, and he takes off to try to find her. Ng focuses on the power of words, stories, family, and those who have been maginalized.
Dystopian, Literary Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Handmaid's Tale, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi FIC-FANTASY MAF
Alizeh is a Queen of a Jinn kingdom hiding as a servant, prophesized to kill the king. Kamran is a Prince who is can't get the strange girl out of his mind. When he finds out she is the one who will kill the king, he is accused of treason because he can't bring himself to kill her to save his kingdom.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Defy the Night, Once Upon a Broken Heart, Foul Lady Fortune, Furyborn, Chosen Ones
Night of Cake and Puppets by Laini Taylor FIC-SUPERNATURAL TAY
A quick, easy read, filled with drawings which makes the book come alive. A companion to Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Zuzanna loves Mik from afar, and Mik loves her as well. They're both too shy to talk to the other, until one day Zuzanna takes matters in her own hands and devises a scavenger hunt for Mik, and he does it right back to her. Adorable love story.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Tweet Cute, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Last Chance Books, The Sun is Also a Star
The Door of No Return by Kwame Alexander FIC_VERSE ALE
The gripping story of 11 year old Kofi who is stolen from his village of Upper Kwanta and sold into slavery. It takes place in the Asante kingdom of 1860 (modern day Ghana). Kofi soon ends up in a fight for his life and what happens next will send him on a harrowing journey across land and sea, and away from everything he loves.
Novel in Verse, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Chains, Kindred, Bitter Side of Sweet, African Town, Dream Country
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt FIC-ADULT VAN
A sweet, tender, heartwarming book about Tova, who has had a lot of heartache in her life. Her husband recently died, her son Erik mysteriously died when he was 18, and although she has plenty of friends, leads a lonely life. She befriends Marcellus, a great Pacific octopus, who seems to understand everything she says. A remarkably bright creature, he does, and helps her to understand what happened to Erik and the relationships around her. It's a lovely story.
Adult, Literary Fiction
Read this if you liked: A Man Called Ove, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, Lessons in Chemistry
Solo by Kwame Alexander FIC-VERSE ALE
The son of a famous musician has his life turned upside down when he finds out he's adopted. His father is a mess - in and out of rehab and not much of a father. His mother died when he was young, and he goes to Ghana in search of his birth mother. He grows during his time there, learning that life for the rest of the world isn't as easy as it is for him, but he's still just an 18 year old boy who is dealing with big issues.
Novel in Verse
Read this if you liked: Moth, Punching the Air, Long Way Down, Poet X
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller FIC-HISTORICAL MIL
Patroclus has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. They become friends and grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess. When Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Patroclus journeys with Achilles to Troy, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.
Mythological Fiction
Read this if you liked: Circe, Lore, Percy Jackson, Lovely War, Strange the Dreamer, Underworld
Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert FIC-SUPERNATURAL ALB
Ivy's summer starts off really weird. Driving home from a graduation party, she sees a naked girl in the middle of the road and follows her. She doesn't speak, and when she gets home, her mother has disappeared. So begins her mystery. The book alternates between 'The Suburbs Now', which is Ivy's story, and 'The City Then', which is her mother's story about how she discovered witchcraft and how it all went horribly wrong. Their two worlds collide and Ivy learns the secrets that have plagued her throughout her adolescence.
Supernatural, Mystery
Read this if you liked: After Dark with Roxie Clark, Belladonna, Ninth House, Spells Trouble
Horror Hotel by Victoria Fulton FIC-SUSPENSE FUL
When the YouTube-famous Ghost Gang—Chrissy, Chase, Emma, and Kiki—visit a haunted LA hotel notorious for tragedy to secretly film after dark, they expect it to be just like their previous paranormal huntings. Spooky enough to attract subscribers—and ultimately harmless - Goodreads
Horror, Suspense, Thriller
Read this if you liked: Full Tilt, Clown in a Cornfield, The Weight of Blood, House of Hollow
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet by Laekan Zea Kemp FIC-REALISTIC KEM
After one semester, Pen knew school wasn't for her, and she pretended to keep going. All she wanted was to work in her father's restaurant - she's an amazing baker. But when she came clean, her parents threw her out to make it on her own. She always dreamed of opening ther own bakery. Xander has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at the restaurant is an opportunity for a chance at a normal life. But when both the restaurant and Xander's immigrant status are threatened, he will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound family and himself.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: How Moon Fuentes Fell in Love, Don't Date Rosa Santos, Love in English, The Mirror Season
Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor FIC-FANTASY TAY
Jani and her sister get jobs at the Hotel Magnifique, a magical hotel that finds itself in a new location every midnight. All Jani wants to do is make enough money to get her back to her childhood home, but the moment she gets there, she knows that something is wrong. Her sister is missing, and the magicians running the hotel are cruel. The workers don't seem to have any memories, and Jani is worried the same thing will happen to her. She meets Bel, a powerful magician, who wants to help her. Jani learns the many secrets of the hotel and tries to set it all right.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Caraval, Night Circus, Cemetary Boys, City of Brass, The Hazel Wood, The Starless Sea
The Words We Keep by Erin Stewart FIC-REALISTIC STE
Lily found her sister, Alice, on the bathroom floor close to death after a failed suicide attempt.Now, after 2 months in the hospital, she's coming home. Lily has no idea how to deal with that and feels an intense need to be perfect so she can try to keep her family from unraveling. But she's unraveling herself. She starts scratching at her skin, making herself bleed for the relief she feels. She meets Micah, a boy who was in the same facility as Alice, who has mental health issues of their own. Lily keeps so much inside of herself. People ask how she is and she says 'fine', but what she really means is that it's too much, and she can't handle it all, and she's afraid she's going to end up like Alice. It's all about what you keep hidden. This book taught me a lot about the outside not matching up with the inside. Beautifully written
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Scars like Wings, My Heart and Other Black Holes, Suicide Notes From Beautiful Girls, Wintergirls
The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson FIC-REALISTIC JAC
Everyone thought Maddy, who is a very sheltered, quiet girl, was white until one day she gets caught in the rain and her hair frizzes. The kids are horrible to her. They taunt her and throw pencils in her hair and they are cruel. The popular White girl who is dating the Black HS football player (and who feels like he's slipping through her fingers) cooks up a scheme to have her boyfriend ask Maddy to the prom. Maddy finally feels like she can be a normal teenager and make some frineds. There's this whole segregated prom thing going on, which makes zero sense (hello...2022!). The moment the word prom was mentioned, you just knew that something evil was going to happen to this girl. Turns out that she has powers and can use them to wreck havoc. A definite page turner!
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Legendborn, Raybearer, Wings of Ebony, Children of Blood and Bone, Gilded Ones, Witches Steeped in Gold
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys FIC-HISTORICAL SEP
The people of Romanina in 1989 lived with a communist regime and had nothing. They feared for their lives and their safety at every moment. There was never enough food, medicine, clothing, or anything they needed to live. Bare necessities were luxuries. I don't know how they survived. The saddest part was that family members were pitted against one another and would inform on each other in order to survive. It was a sad state and an impossible way to live.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Fountains of Silence, Salt to Sea, Code Name Helene, The Rose Code, Sekret
Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim FIC-FANTASY LIM
Shiori is a princess with 6 brothers and discovers she has magic. Magic is outlawed in Kiata, and when she finds out that her stepmother also has magic, the stepmother (evil, of course), turns the six brothers into cranes and curses her. If she speaks, her brothers will die. She tries to break the curse while she's far from home, where everyone thinks she's a demon. There is, of course, a lovely little love story which is adorable. Shiori searches for her brothers, and uncovers a conspiracy to overtake the throne. Only She can save the kingdom to rights, but to do so she must place her trust in the boy she fought so hard not to marry.
Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Read this if you liked: Children of Blood and Bone, Bone Spindle, Stepsister, Heartless, Blanca and Roja, Curse So Dark and Lonely
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao FIC-ROMANCE THA
Julie's boyfriend, Sam, dies in a car crash and Julie just shuts down. She doesn't go to his funeral, the memorial services, doesn't talk to his parents, nothing. She calls his phone one day and he picks up. They talk to each other for weeks and weeks to the point of obsession. They don't know if the connection is temporary or permanant, but Sam knows that Julie must say goodbye for good.
Romance, Mystical Realism
Read this if you liked: PS I Love You, Before I Fall, Landline, In The Wild Light, If I Stay, I Was Here
All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir FIC-HISTORICAL TAH
Sabaa Tahir writes so beautifully and she really had me connecting to the characters. I felt so bad for everything that Noor and Salahudin went through - they had so much responsibility in their families and were completely relied upon to help. Salahudin did everything for his family because his father wouldn't. Noor was expected to give everything up to help her Uncle in his store. Both of them had a rage inside of them - rage for the unfairness in the world, for inequities, for their lots in life. The book highlighted the racism that they were subjected to which was just awful. There was such a sadness to this book - everything in their lives were so bleak, but it was written so beautifully, all you wanted was for everything to work out for them.
Historical Fiction, Immigrants
Read this if you liked: Exit West, The Tyrant's Daughter, Love From A to Z, An Emotion of Great Delight, You Bring the Distant Near
The Chosen One by Echo Brown FIC-REALISTIC BRO\
It's Echo's first year at Dartmouth and she's feeling like a fish out of water. The diverse, all encompassing college experience that she was expecting doesn't exist, and to make matters worse, she's flunking out. She's in love with a rich, gorgeous white boy and has a tribe of friends who have her back. She's having visions which she doesn't understand and she thinks she's going a bit crazy until her Dean explains what is going on. She can control her future if she accepts her past, and in the process heal and understand what her ancestors went through. She makes the reader understand what it's like for a Black person in a White world - what challenges they face, how white privilege makes them feel - things that would have never thought about.
Realistic Fiction, Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Calling My Name, Bitter, Black Girl Unlimited, American Street, When We Make It
They'll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman FIC-MYSTERY GOO
Told in alternating voices, Stella, star runner at her school had her scholarship taken away and now she's trying to get it back. Her younger sister, Ellie, is trying to make a name for herself on the team. New girl and threat Mila is also a top runner, and although they are competitive, she befriends Stella. In a moment of weakness, Stella shares her darkest secret with Mila. For her part, Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are similar. Mila is smart and strong--she's someone Stella can finally connect with. With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes are on the sisters.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: People Like Us, The Cheerleaders, Nothing More to Tell, Truly Devious, One of Us is Lying
Gilded by Melissa Meyer FIC-FANTASY MEY
Retelling of Rumpelstiltskin. Serilda is born with a blessing and a curse - she is able to tell fantastical tales - but the people in her village only see the curse and believe everything she says in a lie. When she encounters the Erlking and his undead entourage, she tells him she can spin straw into gold, so he brings her to his castle every full moon and imprisons her until she makes the gold. She is helped by a poltergeist-a ghostly boy who is trapped in the castle - but he will only help for payment. If you know the story of Rumpelstiltskin, you know what the payment eventually becomes. It was filled with evil kings, fairies, witches, and all types of creatures, as well as plenty of action and adventure.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Six Crimson Cranes, Girls Made of Snow and Glass, A Curse so Dark and Lonley, Bone Spindle, Stepsister
Chandler Legacies by Abdi Nazemian FIC-REALISTIC NAZ
Five students in an upscale boarding school come together as members of an exclusive writing seminar. Individually, they each have their own issues, as all teens do, but do a pretty good job of hiding them. They learn to trust each other and rely on each other, and they ultimately stand together and help one another. Each chapter is written in a different character's voice, and it just took a few chapters to get used to who was doing the talking. I really liked it. Very well written and full of life lessons for all of us. Tell your truth, be strong, make a difference in the world.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Looking for Alaska, All the Bright Places, The Mockingbirds, Perks of Being a Wallflower
The World Played Chess by Robert Dugoni FIC-HISTORY DUG
Written in two POVs by during 3 time periods - by William, an 18 year old writing in his diary during the Vietnam war, and by Vinny, an 18 year old working with William during 1979, and then again as an adult with children in 2015. Vinny spends the summer talking about the war and learning life lessons that he will carry with him and teach his children. This book opened my eyes to the horror of war, what the men went through, and the mental trauma they endured. It's easy to see why so many came home with PTSD, and back in the 70s, they didn't really understand the concept. Many became drug addicts, alcoholics, and were suicidal because there was little or no support for them.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Impossible Knife of Memory, The Great Alone, American Road Trip, Price of Duty, Everybody Sees the Ants
Anatomy: A Love Story by Dana Schwartz FIC-HISTORICAL SCH
Hazel, a teenage girl in the early 1800's wants to be a surgeon. Of course, for the time, everyone around her dismisses the idea - she's a lady, she will get married and that will be that. But she dresses as a man and takes a class in anatomy. Enter Jack, a grave digger, who supplies the bodies to the doctors around town. Hazel and Jack work together to uncover the secrets buried in unmarked graves and in Edinburgh society. I did liked the characters, I loved the way they made Hazel strong and determined, and I even understood when she was unsure of herself and wanted to quit.
Historical Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Pull of the Stars, Fever 1793, Belle Revolte
Infinity Son by Adam Silvera FIC-FANTASY SIL
Emil, who manifests superhero 'spector' powers, doesn't want them. He doesn't want to fight and he doesn't want to hurt anyone. His brother, Brighton, who has no powers, wants nothing more than to have them. Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day.
Fantasy, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Shadowshaper, Steelheart, Renegades, The Extraordinaries, Zeros, Hero
The Leveller by Julia Durango FIC-SCI-FI DUR
Nixy is a Leveller - she goes into the Meep - a virtual gaming world - and pulls out kids who have been playing too long. She's hired by the billionaire developer of the game - his son is missing in the Meep. Nixy thinks it will be and in and out job, but when she gets there, she finds something sinister happening. I liked this, I know the teens will like it - gaming, lots of action, and a little bit of a love story.
Science Fiction, Gaming
Read this if you liked: Warcross, Epic, The Eye of Minds, Ready Player One, Girl Gone Viral, Arena
The Red Palace by June Hur FIC-HISTORICAL HUR
Korea 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down and do a good job. But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon's closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher's innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation. This book was based upon the true story of palace murders.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: These Violent Delights, Outrun the Moon, Forest of Stolen Girls, Silence of the Bones
Before We Disappear by Shaun David Hutchinson FIC-FANTASY HUT
Set during the 1909 Seattle Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition, where the two assistants of two ambitious magicians find themselves falling in love amidst a bitter rivalry designed to tear them apart. Wilhelm is actually magical, and his magician is keeping him hostage, hoping their 'tricks' will make him seem like the greatest magician of all time. Jack is instantly attracted to Wilhem and tries to do everything in his power to free him.
Historical Fiction, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Carry On, Ninth House, Darkest Minds, Once and Future Witches, Akata Witch
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi FIC-SCI-FI MAF
Juliette has a touch that can kill, and ever since she was a little girl, she's thought that she was a monster. She doesn't know why she can do this and doesn't know how to control it, but has just learned not to touch anyone. The 'Reestablishment' wants to use her as a weapon, and its head, Warren, is creepily obsessed with her. Her cellmate, Adam is someone from her childhood and the only person who was ever kind to her. Her mother hated her and would tell her, in no uncertain terms, that she was evil, and Juliette hates herself for it. She spent her entire life not being able to touch anyone or not being loved, so it's no wonder she trusts no one.
Sci Fi, Romance
Read this if you liked: Crewl, The Darkest Minds, SkyHunter, Imposters, Starters, Red Queen
The Bone Spindle by Leslie Vedder FIC-FANTASY VED
In this twist of Sleeping Beauty, the Prince is asleep and the Fi, a treasure hunter, along with her friend Shane, is on the hunt to save him. The Prince does show up way before the kiss though in the guise of an enchanted spirit who helps them along. It did of course make for a nice love story. There was plenty of magic and terror and fighting and double crossing to make it fun, but it still bothered me that the boy got to help in this feminist bend to the story.
Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ, Fairy Tale Retelling
Read this if you liked: A Blade so Black, Sherwood, Six Crimson Cranes, Curse So Dark and Lonely, Cruel Beauty
Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison FIC-REALISTIC EVI
Mike Munoz is a poor boy Mexican boy living on a reservation, trying to make something of his life. Just when he gets ahead, he falls behind again. All he wants is the American Dream, but he can never seem to catch a break. But then things start to change for Mike, and after a raucous, jarring, and challenging trip, he finds he can finally see the future and his place in it.
Realistic, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun, Aristotle and Dante, Indivisable, Inexplicable Logic of my Life
Gallant by V.E. Schwab FIC-SUPERNATURAL SCH
Olivia is a poor orphan at a home where she has no one and is on her own. When she finds she has relatives, she goes to them but the cousin wants her to leave. Oliva sees the dead and she has to try to rescue her younger cousin from the ghouls in the shadow realm. Schwab writes beautifully, and even though it's about fighting death, you get such a feeling of beauty and hope.
Supernatural, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: The Graveyard Book, What Big Teeth, Our Crooked Hearts, The Summoning, Chosen Ones
In the Wild Light by Jeff Zentner FIC-REALISTIC ZEN
Cash and Delaney are from a small town in Tennesse, and when genius Delaney is offered a scholarship to a prestigious boarding school far away near Boston, she gets the school to give Cash a scholarship as well. Even though his grandfather is close to death, it's an opportunity he can't give up. He's miserable at school - everyone is rich and smart - but he finds his way in a poetry class and the teacher takes a special interest in him. He eventually finds his footing and learns how to channel his grief, anger, sadness, and friendships into his poety. A beautiful book.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Tell Me Three Things, Dear Edward, I Have Lost My Way
How Moon Fuentez Fell In Love With the Universe by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland FIC-ROMANCE VAS
Moon and Star are twins, but are completely unalike - Star is 'Fotogram' famous, pious, beautiful, sweet, and has all the love of their mother. Moon is big, and loud, has low self esteem, and is sexually active, which makes their mother hate her and continually berate her. I loved Moon's character - she sees the world through the eyes of an artist and loves her sister unconditionally, even when she is manipulative and coniving. Enter Santiago, a beautiful, talented boy who seems to like her very much. But she just can't believe someone like him would like someone like her. She always believes people use her to get to her sister, and he also has a famous brother, and he feels the same. Lots of misunderstandings, but it was beautiful to watch their friendship grow and to watch Moon become an entirely different person.
Romance, Diverse
Read this if you liked: Follow Your Arrow, Eleanor and Park, Being Friends with Boys, Rebel with a Cupcake
Ace of Spades by Faridah Abike-Iyimide FIC-SUSPENSE ABI
Chiamaka is popular and talented and as a senior, became head prefect. Devon is quiet and a loner, and much to his surprise, has also become prefect. Before long, someone who goes by Ace of Spades reveals secrets about the two of them and their lives quickly spiral out of control. They don't want to believe it, but it becomes evident this is happening because they are Black.
Suspense, Mystery, Thriller
Read this if you liked: The Ivies, They Wish They Were Us, Nothing More to Tell, Reconstructing Amelia, The Rumor Game
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron FIC-FANTASY BAY
200 years after Cinderella, girls are required to go to the ball and are paraded around like meat in front of potential husbands. Women have no rights and no choice, and are destined to essentially be slaves and second class citizens to their husbands. It's a messed up world, and Sophia wants nothing to do with it. She's in love with Erin and wants the two of them to run away. Erin is afraid but Sophia wants to take the government down and stop this archaic practice. She meets Constance, and the two of them set out to make changes. The last line of the book, and and message to young women everywhere... Do not be silent. Raise your voice. Be a light in the dark. Yay women!
Fantasy, Fairytale Retellings, LGBTQ, Feminism
Read this if you liked: A Curse so Dark and Lonely, Girls of Paper and Fire, Six Crimson Cranes, Star Touched Queen
Stepsister by Jennifer Donnelly
FIC-FANTASY DON
Stepsister focused on Isabella, one of Cinderella's sisters, and how she hated herself. She knew was ugly and mean - how could she forget when everyone kept reminding her that she was - and wanted to change. She wanted to be more like Cinderella - kind, nice, and most of all, pretty. Pretty girls get everything they want. After Cinderella goes off to the castle, Isabella, her sister and mother have nothing. They are forced to move into the barn of their neighbors and work for their keep. Isabella is miserable and runs to the woods where she meets Cinderella's fairy godmother. There, she tells Isabella that if she can find the parts of her that are missing, she will grant her wish to be pretty. Isabella finally figures out what she is missing, and with the help of Fate and Chance, finds her missing pieces. But it's a story about believing in yourself, knowing what you want, and never letting anyone tell you that you are not enough.
Fantasy, Romance, Fairy Tale Retelling
Read this if you liked: Girls Made of Snow and Glass, Cruel Beauty, Curse So Dark and Lonely, Ella Enchanted, Ash
FIC-REALISTIC CAL
Charlotte wins a place in a prestigious writing workshop with a famous author, and not just any famous author, but her idol, and she is over the moon with joy. She is a bit overwhelmed, pretty insecure about being there, but she is thrilled. Charlotte believes a very distant relative of hers wrote a very famous poem, and while she's in Venice, she enlists the help of Dante, the handsome boy who works at the library, to help her with her research. When Luca finally notices her and her work, she is overjoyed, but the things get out of control. There are really two stories going on in this book - Charlotte the writer working with Luca and the how powerful men influence the lives of women, and the story of Charlotte's ancestor, and how women were treated at second class citizens and essentially shuttered when they showed any sign of stepping out of line or being independent.
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: The Summer I Turned Pretty, Love and Other Perishable Objects, Along for the Ride, Breathless
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
FIC-REALISTIC JOH
Liz decides to run for prom queen to win a $10,000 scholarship prize. She is very anti-prom and everything that goes with it, but figures if it will help her get to college, she's going for it. It's totally competitive and cut throat, but she soldiers on. New girl in school Amanda (Mack) also joins the competition, and Liz falls head over heels. The only problem is that she's still in the closet at school and doesn't want to tell because she thinks it will ruin her chances of winning. She neglects to mention that to Amanda, which becomes a problem later on. But there are great friendships and issues with them, a wonderful brother whom she feels very protective over, and old friend whom she fell out with but is slowly learning to trust again.
Realistic Fiction, Romance, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Dumplin, Upside Down of Unrequited, Like a Love Story, Leah on the Offbeat, Watch us Rise
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
FIC-MYSTERY BOU
As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. Daunis dreams of studying medicine, but when her family is struck by tragedy, she puts her future on hold to care for her fragile mother. Daunis must learn what it means to be a strong Anishinaabe kwe (Ojibwe woman) and how far she'll go to protect her community, even if it tears apart the only world she’s ever known.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Apple in the Middle, #Not Your Princess, Elatsoe, Out of Darkness
FIC-FANTASY YOU
When Fable was 13 years old, her father abandoned her on an island filled with thieves and left her to make her own way. Fable persevered and survived, but she had to make it back to her father. He promised her 'what she was owed' if she returned. She escapes on a ship run by West and his crew. They don't want her, but she proves useful, and eventually wins them over. There's a lot of fighting with their enemies, rival gangs, and even her father, but Fable is smart and she knows how to get what she wants. She's trying to find her place in the world and to find a family since hers abandoned her. She just wants to feel loved and safe.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Seafire, Last Voyage of Poe Blythe, Sky Without Stars, Hunger Games, Graceling
FIC-FANTASY THO
Bestowed by the ancient goddess of death, Yadriel and the gifted members of his Latinx community can see spirits: women have the power to heal bodies and souls, while men can release lost spirits to the afterlife. But Yadriel, a trans boy, has never been able to perform the tasks of the brujas - because he is a brujo.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Children of Blood and Bone, Akata Witch, The Gilded Ones, Legendborn, Wrath and Dawn
The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
FIC-MYSTERY BAR
Avery, who has no parents and only a half sister who is raising her, has very little. One day she gets a letter and finds out she has inherited billions - the only stipulation is that she must live in his mansion, with the family he disinherited, for one year. A silly premise, but once they discover he left a mystery for them to solve, the join forces and go about solving the game. It was fast paced and clever - if I had the time I would have enjoyed finishing this in one sitting. My only criticism is that when Avery first shows up, everyone should really hate her, and they do, to an extent, but they all work together and get along pretty well which isn't really likely and there's even a bit of a love triangle which is also a bit unlikely. It did end up nice and tidy, and I was surprised at the outcome, but it looks like there is a sequel which should be fun.
Mystery Read this if you liked: One of Us is Lying, Truly Devious, All Our Twisted Secrets, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
Black Girl Unlimited by Echo Brown
FIC-REALISTIC BRO
This book is part autobiographical, part realistic fiction, and part magical realism. This book really opened my eyes to how people in poverty, real poverty, live. They not only have to deal with poverty, but very often are dealing with drugs, abuse, rape, and all sorts of horrors that I can't even imagine. This young girl, who watched her mother succumb to drugs, was raped by the time she was 10, raised her brothers, pulled herself up and did her best to rise above it all. What a powerful story and what powerful life lessons it teaches.
Realistic Fiction, Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Grown, The Black Kids, The Glass Castle, With Fire on High, Monday's Not Coming, Educated
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
FIC-FANTASY-BAR
Great from the start, Alina and Mal are best friends from childhood. When they are attacked and Mal is in life threatening danger, Alina's latent power is revealed - and her power could be the key to saving the kingdom. She's whisked away to train but caught in a web of lies and a power struggle. Fast moving, lots of action, romance, and adventure.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Six of Crows, Crown's Game, Gathering Storm, The Cruel Prince, Roar, Gilded Wolves
Instructions for Dancing by Nicola Yoon
FIC-ROMANCE-YOO
When Evie sees someone kissing, she can mysteriously see their past, present, and future. A nice gift to have except Evie's parents have just gotten divorced and she no longer believes in love and happily ever after. When she meets X and is roped into competing in a ballroom dance competition with him, she tries as hard as she can to not fall for him, but it's inevitable. A cute book that shows us even though there is heartbreak in the world, it's ok to enjoy your life in the present because any day could be your last.
Romance, Mystical Realsm
Read this if you liked: Instant Karma, Love and Other Train Wrecks, Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Instant Karma
FIC-VERSE WIL
Based on the true story of Sophie Scholl, her brothers and friends, who put their lives on the line to speak out against the Nazis and paid for it with their lives. Sophie wants to do more, wants what she's doing to matter. She sees the injustices and can't understand why others won't speak up. But more than anything, she wants what she's doing to matter. A story of standing up and doing what you know is right, no matter the risks to your own personal freedom.
Novel in Verse, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Paper Hearts, Rose Under Fire, The Boy Who Dared, The Light in Hidden Places
The Guilded Ones by Namina Forna
FIC-FANTASY-FOR
Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs. But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Children of Blood and Bone, Kingdom of Souls, Raybearer, Song of Wraith and Ruin
Instant Karma by Marissa Meyer
FIC-ROMANCE
Prudence is a serious young lady. Always on time, always gets homework done, doesn't put fun first. Quint, her lab partner, drives her insane. He's always late, doesn't care about assignments, and is everyone's friend. He infuriates her. One day Pru slips and hits her head, and all of a sudden, she has the ability to mete out justice to those doing wrong. Her classmate trash talking her brother? She loses an earring. Her sister bugging her? She spills her drink. Prudence loves this new found power - people can now be accountable for their sins. Except...Pru realizes at some point that things aren't always what they seem and sometimes there is a good reason people do the things they do. It's a good lesson to learn - think before you judge.
Romance, Mystical Realism
Read this if you liked: Love & Gelato, Tweet Cute, Voting Booth, Again Again, Today Tonight Tomorrow
This is My Brain in Love by I.W. Gregorio
FIC-ROMANCE GRE
Jocelyn, is a snarky sophomore who works in her parent's failing Chinese restaurant. When her father announces that it's time to close the restaurant, Jocelyn takes it upon herself to try to save the business. Enter Will, who helps market the restaurant. Will has an anxiety disorder and is prone to panic attacks. It becomes evident that Jocelyn is suffering from depression, and these two teens are trying to navigate their relationship while trying to make sure the restaurant survives. The book does a great job getting into the minds of the average teenagers who have crushes - does he like me? What did that text mean? How could he like me? Their insecurities are magnified by their disorders, but these are the thoughts of all teens. It's nice to see a book that brings these out so kids can know they are not alone.
Romance, Disabilities
Read this if you liked: Eleanor & Park, Frankly in Love, The Sun is Also a Star, All the Bright Places
FIC-FANTASY DEO
After her mother dies in an accident, sixteen-year-old Bree Matthews wants nothing to do with her family memories or childhood home. A residential program for bright high schoolers seems like the perfect escape—until Bree witnesses a magical attack her very first night on campus and a secret society of so called “Legendborn” students that hunt the creatures down.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Ninth House, Crescent City, Children of Blood and Bone, Akata Witch
FIC-REALISTIC JAC
Enchanted Jones is a 17 year old aspiring singer who catches the eye of 27 year old super star rapper Korey Jones. He takes a shine to her and takes her under his wing, helping her with her singing and promising to cut a record with her, all the while professing his love. Slowly but surely, he distances her from her family and once she's away from her parents, a different side of Korey surfaces. A jealous, mean, possessive, abusive man. When Korey is found dead, she has to do what the police won't do - prove her innocence and have the courage to tell the world what really happened to her, even when they never believe her.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Red at the Bone, Breathing Underwater, The Way I Used to Be, Bad Romance
FIC-MYSTERY MCM
Three cousins who haven't seen each other since infancy come together to meet their rich grandmother on her exclusive island resort. Their grandmother disowned their parents years ago and no one actually knows why. They decide to go to the island to meet their grandmother and try to figure out why she won't talk to them. She barely acknowledges their presence, and it becomes very clear to them that she did not invite them. But who did, and why? The revelation of the mystery was a bit bizarre, but I liked the story. It read more like a realistic fiction than a mystery - the cousins getting to know one another, their complicated family relationships, their friendship going forward. Very good!
Mystery
Read this if you liked: One of Us is Lying, We Were Liars, All Your Twisted Secrets, The Color of Lies
The Black Kids by Christina Hammonds Reed
FIC-HISTORICAL HAM
Ashley is a rich Black girl going to an exclusive High School in LA during the 1992 Rodney King riots. She's very conflicted - even though it's close to home, it doesn't directly affect her - that's not her neighborhood - but there's always been a difference between her and her white friends. She's known them for her whole life, and they're her best friends, but there's always a little 'something' off. She's always shook it off, but lately she doesn't want to. Ashley slowly comes to the realization that maybe she shouldn't be putting up with the little digs from her 'friends' and maybe she should be standing up for herself.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Punching the Air, Stamped, The Hate U Give, Dear Martin, Black Enough, How it Went Down
Anxious People by Fredrick Backman
FIC-ADULT BAC
It's the story of a desperate bank robber and desperate hostages. Everyone has issues, secrets, and needs some sort of help. The bank robber didn't mean to take anyone hostage and doesn't want to hurt anyone - just wants life to go right for once. It's funny and sad and so insightful all at once. I felt so much for all the characters because they were all hurting in their own way and all trying to figure out their place in life.
Realistic Fiction, Adult
Read this if you liked: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, The Rosie Project, The Storied Life of AJ Fikry
FIC-HISTORICAL HES
Few books tell the story of what happened right after liberation from the Nazi death camps. This is the story of Zofia, an 18 year old girl who is searching for her 12 year old brother. When she first makes her way to her former home, she still encounters prejudice from neighbors and townspeople. Following a lead, she travels to a displaced persons camp in the hopes of finding her brother. There, she finds a community, friends, and even romance with Josef, a fellow displaced person. Zofia has many holes in her memory, a coping mechanism, and so she has a hard time distinguishing memories as either fact or fiction, and is often unsure of herself. I had a great deal of empathy for Zofia, especially in light of all of her uncertainty, which she tried to keep from people so they didn't think she was 'crazy'. She went through unspeakable horrors, and the only thing that was keeping her going was the idea of finding her brother again.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Book Thief, Between Shades of Gray, Sarah's Key, Salt to the Sea
The Black Flamingo by Dean Atta
FIC-REALISTIC ATT
Michael never feels like he's quite enough. He's not enough Black, he's not enough Greek, he's coming to terms with being gay, with coming out, and finding his place in the world. His mother is incredibly supportive and for the most part, is accepted by his family and friends. There are bumps, and they hurt, but he continues to strive to be the best he can be. When he goes to college, he finds a drag society and finally feels like this is where he belongs. Beautifully written.
Novel in Verse, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Felix Ever After, I Wish you All the Best, Little & Lion, Radio Silence, If I Was Your Girl
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
FIC-VERSE ACE
Told in verse from the points of view of Camino, a girl living in the Dominican Republic, and Yahaira, a girl living in New York. When their father's plane crashes on his way to visit Camino, the girls learn a secret that has been hidden from them their entire lives - their father had two wives, two families, two lives. One here, one there. One comfortable, one struggling. Can either girl forgive their father for his lies and deception? Can either girl get over their grief? Both struggle with their fates and learn to accept what their father could give them, and what they could be to each other.
Novel in Verse, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Picture Us in the Light, Sorry For Your Loss, American Panda, Gabi, Girl in Pieces
FIC-ROMANCE LOR
Pepper, an overachieving senior in HS, has been tasked by her mother's fast food chain to handle their twitter account. It's fine until one day when she gets into a Twitter war with a small, local deli. She wants to shut the war down, but her mom wants to ramp it up. In typical fashion, on the other end of Twitter, unbeknownst to her at the start, is her classmate, Jack. The war escalates, people take sides, and of course, they fall in love. But there's a twist - ah...that's the reason the war continues! A very cut rom-com that is very similar to You've Got Mail.
Romance
Read this if you liked: The Upside of Falling, This is What Happy Looks Like, Eliza and Her Monsters, Fangirl
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
FIC-MYSTERY JAC
I was always on the edge of my seat - was it this one, was it that one, ooh, how did that clue fit? Pip is a HS girl doing her Senior capstone project and sets out to clear the name of a boy who was accused of a murder that happened in her town. She enlists the boy's brother and they run around collecting clues and getting into dangerous situations, trying to get to the truth. Everyone seems to be connected and can be a suspect!
Mystery
Read this if you liked: One of Us is Lying, All Our Twisted Secrets, Truly Devious, Killing November, The Cheerleaders
All This Time by Mikki Daughtry & Rachael Lippincott
FIC-REALISTIC DAU
Kyle and Kim, a long-time couple, break up on graduation night moments before they are in a car accident that leaves Kim dead and Kyle with multiple injuries. Kyle has to deal with Kim's death, her admission that she didn't want to be with him any longer, his realization that his best friend liked her, his football career being over, and his college plans fading. While at the cemetery, he meets Marley, who is at her twin sister's grave. They become friends, and then soon after, Kyle starts to fall for her. Marley has deep issues - her sister died while they were together and she feels she could have prevented it. The two help one another get over their losses until one morning when Kyle wakes up and everything has changed.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Breathless, Fault in Our Stars, Five Feet Apart, If I Stay, Goodbye Days, Just Breathe
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
FIC-SCI-FI DOW
Told in alternate points of view, Morris, an alien, loves music, and each of his chapters started off with a line from a popular song. Ellie, a human, loves books and wants to be a Librarian, and each of her chapters starts off with a line from a famous book. They quote lyrics and books throughout, and it was fun to recognize or guess at what they were quoting. The first book Morris read was The Hate U Give, and really the premise of the whole book was not really humans vs. aliens, but the state that our country is in now with all the racism and prejudice. Of course they fall for one another and have to save the world in the process.
Science Fiction / Romance
Read this is you liked: The Hate You Give, I Am Number Four, Defy the Stars, The 5th Wave, Darkest Star, Skyhunter
The Voting Booth by Brandy Colbert
FIC-ROMANCE COL
A cute story about Marva, a senior in HS who is serious and passionate about voting and politics and wants everyone to feel the same way. She meets Duke while on line to vote when he is turned away because he's at the wrong polling place. She offers to take him to his correct voting location, and so begins a day of craziness. It's completely unbelievable, but adorable how she's so passionate and he thinks she's adorable. Throw in a faltering relationship, a cute little sister, and a missing cat, and you have the makings of a perfect rom-com.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Yes, No, Maybe So, The Sun is Also a Star, Eleanor & Park, Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight
FIC-DYSTOPIAN OLI
In this futuristic world, Luka is a prisoner in The Loop - a high security prison where the government has the right to experiment on your body to test enhancements for the rich. It's a lonely existence - prisoners are only allowed an hour a day out of their cells each day and even then it's behind a barrier so they can't mingle with the other inmates. But they have a kind warden, and when war is imminent, she warns them that they have to try to escape. A group of them do, but they are faced with a crazed population bent on killing anyone they encounter. Were they all drugged? Is there an antidote? Luka and his cellmates try to find the answers since they all seem to be unaffected.
Dystopian, Thriller
Read this if you liked: Maze Runner, Lockdown, Hunger Games, The Eleventh Plague, The Enemy, Knife of Never Letting Go, 5th Wave
FIC-DYSTOPIAN AHM
Muslim Americans are forced into internment camps in a near-future America. The author clearly references the Trump administration - it talks about fake news, about xenophobia, and about how the administration in this book rejects immigrants. Layla and her family are taken into an internment camp in the middle of the desert, and the adults continually tell the teens to keep their heads down, don't make waves, but the kids & Layla are the ones who lead the resistance.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Darkest Minds, Rebel Seoul, Other Words for Home, Refugee, A Very Large Expanse of Sea, Other Words for Home
My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows
FIC-SUPERNATUAL HAN
In this version of the wild west, werewolves are running around and Calamity Jane, Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickok are hunting them. The book follows history pretty accurately. There's a love story between Annie and Bill's son, another between Jane and a woman and their time in Deadwood, Bill's murder at the poker table, and many other little tidbits about the Wild West. Women feature predominately in this book, and they are the true hero-eens of the West!
Historical Fiction, Humor
Read this if you liked: Dread Nation, Gentleman's Guide to Vice & Virtue, And I Darken, Alex & Eliza, Wolf by Wolf
FIC-ROMANACE NIV
With just days to go until graduation day, Claudine's parents tell her they are getting divorced. Her mother whisks her away to a family summer island and tells her she can't tell anyone about the separation. She's stuck on this island with no internet, angry, friendless, and confused. She meets Miha, and although she knows she's only there for a few weeks and he's only there for a few weeks, she starts to fall for him. She slowly lets go of some of her anger, but she has a lot of issues to deal with. Not only her parents, but her best friend is in a new relationship and she's afraid she's losing her, she has to go off to college and leave everyone behind.
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: What Happened to Goodbye, Tell Me Three Things, Kissing in America, The Summer I Turned Pretty
All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
FIC-MYSTERY URB
5 teens locked in a room discover a bomb and a note - choose someone to die within an hour or else the bomb will go off and kill them all. I had a lot of issues with the premise of the whole book but it was ok. I was completely surprised to find out who locked them in the room and why and then had more issues with the logic of it all. Bottom line is that this book showed that teens are pretty mean and evil and a bunch of bullies.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: One of Us is Lying, The Good Girl's Guide to Murder, The Cheerleaders, We Were Liars, Truly Devious
Stronger than a Bronze Dragon by Mary Fan
FIC-FAN
When a powerful viceroy arrives with a fleet of mechanical dragons and stops an attack on Anlei’s village, the villagers see him as a godsend. They agree to give him their sacred, enchanted River Pearl in exchange for permanent protection—if he’ll marry one of the village girls to solidify the alliance. Anlei is appalled when the viceroy selects her as a bride, but with the fate of her people at stake, she sees no choice but to consent. Anlei’s noble plans are sent into a tailspin, however, when a young thief steals the River Pearl for himself. The adventure commences to get the pearl back and save the village
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Candle and the Flame, The Wraith and the Dawn, Forest of a Thousand Lanterns, Spin the Dawn
Just Breathe by Cammie McGovern
FIC MCG
David is a senior in HS and is in the hospital awaiting a lung transplant because of his cystic fibrosis. Jamie a sophomore and is a hospital volunteer. She's working at the hospital because she has a history of depression and is trying to stay active. When she goes into his room one day, they strike up a friendship which turns into something more for both of them. But what's different about this one is that they are both tentative about it because of their individual issues. Jamie is wise for a sophomore - she knows she shouldn't get involved because she is in no shape for a relationship, but he's hard to resist. He knows he shouldn't get involved because he may die, very soon. I liked that Jamie was mature about the relationship. Not all the time, mind you. She made some pretty bad mistakes along the way. But she knew when to stop, and she knew what to do to keep herself healthy.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Fault in Our Stars, Five Feet Apart, All The Bright Places, Zac & Mia, Everything,Everything, The Memory Book
FIC LU
Talin is part of the elite Striker force, protecting her country, Mara, from an invasion from the Federation. When a Federation solider is captured, Talin risks her reputation to stand up for him because she thinks there is something special about him. And there is - he is an engineered weapon for the Federation to unleash on Mara. Talin and Red - the Skyhunter - form a mental bond. They can hear each other's thoughts and feel each other's feelings. Although they are supposed to be enemies, they join forces to take down the Federation. Talin communicates through sign language, and although we can of course hear (or read) her thoughts, Lu shows how she is sometimes at a disadvantage because of her handicap. She's fierce - she's one of the best soldiers in Mara.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Illuminae, Aurora Rising, Soul of Stars, Endgame, Salvage, Avalon, Legend
A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
FIC KEM
A very different retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Rhen must find someone to love him to break the curse. But in this story, he finds women from our world to bring into his - we are living parallel worlds of our times and medieval times. Harper is taken from our world where her family is in trouble with loan sharks and her mother is dying - and dropped into Rhen's world and is freaking out. She also has cerebral palsy, which makes the people of that world think she is weak, but she is the opposite of weak, and soon has everyone on their toes. She infuriates Rhen - she challenges him at every turn and is fierce and independent, something he's never seen before. And of course, like all BaTB stories, they slowly start to care for one another. But this one is so different - Harper tries to help Rhen save his kingdom, there's an evil sorceress who tortures Rhen, and then there is Grey, Rhen's commander of the guard who is steadfast and loyal, and who will do anything to help Rhen break the curse.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Spin the Dawn, The Wraith & The Dawn, Cinder, Cruel Beauty, Splintered, Beastly, Hunted, Uprooted
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
FIC MAH
Louise is a witch and a free spirit and Reid is a guard of the church - rigid and sworn to kill witches. Thrown together by the cardinal, Lou and Reid are forced to marry. She is of course keeping her sorcery a secret. Lou is an odd character. She is always cursing and doing her best to make Reid uncomfortable. But it was cute and flirty. Of course, they start to care for one another and Reid is adorable because he's so clueless and earnest and falls for her before she does. But then...secrets emerge... This ends with a cliffhanger, so look forward to book 2.
Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Sorcery of Thorns, The Beautiful, Crescent City, Discovery of Witches
The Things She's Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
FIC-MYSTERY KWA
Beth died in a car accident and her father has not been able to get over it. She appears to him and keeps him company and tries to get him to get on with his life. He's a detective and is trying to solve a crime, and she helps him out. Beth actually wants to move on, but she's too focused on helping her father get past his grief. Beth's dad is interviewing Catching, a girl who was found wandering near the crime scene. And for some reason, she can also see Beth.
Mystery, Novel in Verse
Read this if you liked: Vanishing Girls, I Was Here, Two Can Keep a Secret, Shallow Graves, Lovely Bones
SC ZOB
Edited by National Book Award finalist Ibi Zoboi, and featuring some of the most acclaimed bestselling Black authors writing for teens today—Black Enough is an essential collection of captivating stories about what it’s like to be young and Black in America.Black is...sisters navigating their relationship at summer camp…three friends walking back from the community pool talking about nothing and everything…urban and rural, wealthy and poor, mixed race, immigrants, and more—because there are countless ways to be Black enough. - from Good Reads
Realisitic Fiction, Diversity
Read this if you liked: Stamped, You Should See Me in a Crown, With Fire on High, Grown, Watch Us Rise, American Street
Cursed by Karol Ruth Silverstein
FIC-REALISTIC SIL
Ricky has been diagnosed with childhood arthritis and during every waking moment, her body hurts. Her parents have just been divorced, she's sent to live with her dad which means a new school, and all her friends have abandoned her. She's miserable, to say the least. But with the help of a new friend, she learns to stand up for herself - to her parents, with her healthcare providers, and even in school - and she finds that she is stronger than she thought. A quick, good read to help show teens that there are all sorts of kids going through all sorts of issues, some are not always visible.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Five Feet Apart, Everything, Everything, The Spaces Between Us, Scars Like Wings, Just Breathe
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
FIC- REALISTIC
Eden is raped, at the age of 13, by her brother's best friend. She doesn't know what's going on, and she doesn't know what to do after it's over. Everyone loves Kevin - if she tells, no one will believe her, so she keeps quiet. Told in four parts - each year of HS - Eden changes drastically, year after year, trying to get it out of her head, becoming a completely different person to try to push that horrible night out of her life. And she grieves the way she used to be - she used to be a nice person, she used to smile, she used to be friendly. Now, she gets drunk, she hooks up with random guys at parties, she does what she can to numb herself to reality. Then one day she finds out that someone pressed charges against Kevin, and it all comes out again. She blames herself - if she had told, this would not have happened to this other girl.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Female of the Species, Asking for It, Speak, Thirteen Reasons Why, Girl in Pieces
Girls on the Verge by Sharon Biggs Waller
FIC-REALISTIC WAL
What a powerful book for young adults today. Camille lives in Texas and finds herself pregnant after having sex one time with a boy she barely knows. Because of the strict laws in Texas, she can’t get an abortion without telling her parents, and that is something she does not want to do. So starts a journey across the state, into Mexico then New Mexico, all to get an abortion that has been denied her. A hard look at reproductive rights and what it means when old white men are making the rules for young ladies, as well as true friendships, even when you cannot agree with what your friends are doing.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Watch Us Rise, Clap When You Land, Let's Get Lost, Exit Pursued by a Bear, The Truth about Alice
Ordinary Hazards by Nikki Grimes
BIO GRI
Growing up with a mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and a mostly absent father, Nikki Grimes found herself terrorized by babysitters, shunted from foster family to foster family, and preyed upon by those she trusted. At the age of six, she poured her pain onto a piece of paper late one night - and discovered the magic and impact of writing. For many years, Nikki's notebooks were her most enduing companions. In this memoir, Nikki shows how the power of those words helped her conquer the hazards - ordinary and extraordinary - of her life - goodreads
Novel in Verse
Read this if you liked: Glass Castle, A Child Called It, Educated, Speak, The Way I Used to Be, A List of Cages
FIC-HISTORICAL BER
Aphrodite, Ares, Apollo, and Hades tell the story of two couples who fall in love during WWI. It's actually very ingenious - told in each of their voices, from each of their points of view, how these two couples met and fell in love while the war raged around them. Aphrodite pushed them together, Ares tried to kill them, Hades ushered them to death. James and Hazel, both shy and timid, and Audbry and Colette, one Black, the other suffered tragedies. While it was primarily a love story, it was also the story of how Blacks were treated during the war and how they were not only discriminated against, but beaten and even killed by racist soldiers.
Historical Fiction, Mythology
Read this if you liked: Fountains of Silence, Circe, The Downstairs Girl, Giver of Stars, Antigoddess, Abandon
The Hive by Barry Lyga and Morgan Baden
FIC LYG
In a not too distant future, the law dictates the population can choose whether or not to mete out justice to people who bully online. It's called Hive Justice, and just like on Facebook, you can give a post a like or a condemn. The number of condemns you get dictates the punishment you have - level one can be as simple as throwing garbage at you, and if you get to level 5, you can be stoned or beaten. Cassie posts something horrible and gets to Level 6, which has never happened before. Level 6 means she can be killed on sight. She runs and goes into hiding and gets the help of an underground group who wants to take down The Hive. Cassie learns that the hive is being manipulated by the government, and they're using her as an example. But she's a computer genius, and she finds a way to beat them at their own game. A good look at social media and the care you should take with it.
Dystopian, Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Girl Gone Viral, Catfishing on the Net, Rated, Warcross, Feed, The Future of Us
Field Guide to the North American Teenager by Ben Philippe
FIC PHI
Norris is a hockey player who moves from Canada to hot, hot Austin. He's not happy. He's hot and he's miserable. On his first day of school, his guidance counsellor gives him a journal and he uses it to jot down his stereotypical ideas about the different cliques in the school. But like all kids in HS, he slowly begins to make friends and even find a girl he wants to date. He's a typical teenage boy, a bit snarky, totally insecure, but generally a nice kid. He meets Madison, whom he pigeonholes into the ditzy cheerleader group, but she ends up being a real friend. It was a really good story about a boy who grows and learns to accept people and be more open and more of a friend. I liked the way Norris grew and matured in the book.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Not So Pure and Simple, Every Day, Saint Anything, Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass
Strange Exit by Parker Peevyhouse
FIC-SCI-FI PEE
Lake is a teen on a failing spaceship. She was taken off of a dying Earth to go to a new, safer planet. All the kids in the ship were put into a sleep simulator until they got to the planet but something went wrong and their stuck in it. No one can get off the ship until all of the passengers are out of the sim, and no one can get out of the sim unless they believe it's a simulation. Lake is trying to get all the kids to wake up, because that’s the only way they can continue forward. It's not often you find a Science Fiction / Mystery, so this should resonate with lovers of both genres.
Science Fiction / Mystery
Read this if you liked: In the After, Tempest, Life as We Knew It, Ship Breaker, A Wrinkle in Time
FIC-REALISTIC STO
Justyce is a young black man, at the top of his Prep School class, headed to Yale, and has never been in trouble in his life. When the police come upon him trying to get his very drunk (white) girlfriend into the car to take her home, they immediately think he is assaulting her and arrest him. The incident leaves him frightened and wondering if he should be more like Dr. King. He begins to write a series of letters to himself and tries to emulate MLK. Things go from bad to worse - his 'friends' in his all white prep school are racist, he gets into fights defending his rights, and he's once again involved in a police confrontation that almost gets him killed. And all along, he's wondering why is it that as a young black man, he's continually looked at as a thug, a killer, a gangster, and everything that he is not. He's scared, frustrated, and very angry, with just cause.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: All American Boys, Long Way Down, The Hate U Give, Stamped
Stamped by Jason Reynold, Ibram Kendi
305.8 STARRED REY
A history of racism, not only in this country but around the world. The audiobook is narrated by Jason Reynolds, and I highly recommend that version. Kendi & Reynolds explain the differences between segregationists (races apart), assimilationists (advocating for integration), and antirascists (a person who opposes racism and does something about it), and says we can all be all of those things at different times in our lives. The goal is for everyone to be an antiracist. He explains that politicians (predominately old white men) made inherently racist policies and laws under the guise of anti discrimination but did more harm than good to the African American population. "Education, love and exemplary black people will not deliver America from racism, Kendi says. Racist ideas grow out of discriminatory policies, he argues, not the other way around."
Realistic, History, Diversity
Read this if you liked: The Hate U Give, Dear Martin, Clap When You Land, Long Way Down, Punching the Air, Just Mercy
Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
FIC-DYSTOPIAN COL
This prequel to the Hunger Games takes place 60 years before we meet Katniss in District 12. It is the story of the evil President Snow as a teenager. He's in High School, and he and his classmates have been given the honor or becoming the games' first mentors. He's assigned to the tribute from District 12 and when he first meets her, he thinks there's been a mistake - she's poor and dirty, and he should have been given a better mentee considering his family's status in Panum. But once he meets Lucy Gray, he decides she probably is the best tribute there is. She is outgoing and has a positive outlook on life, and does everything she can to make the best of her dire situation. Little by little, Coriolanus starts to fall in love with her. He's also not the Snow that we know - he's very much conflicted about the Games, and he's not sure that this is the best way to have the Districts remember their rebellion - they are cruel and perhaps they should be stopped. But he doesn't have the conviction to actually say that aloud.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, The Loop, The Giver, Divergent, The Testing, Enclave
Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
FIC-MYSTERY JAC
Claudia gets back from her summer vacation and the very first thing she does is call her best friend Monday but finds the phone disconnected. She hadn't heard from her all summer - they were supposed to write to each other but Monday never did. Tomorrow's the first day of school, so she'll see Monday there. But she's not there on the first day or any day thereafter. Claudia insists that something bad happened to Monday but no one will believe her. She goes to all lengths to try to find out what happened to Monday but she gets nowhere. When she sees Monday's sister at a party, she thinks she'll finally find out what happened, but she only tells her she's staying with her aunt and she won't be back. She still doesn't give up. Then the ending really twisted and just changed everything...ooh!
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Broken Things, Sadie, Spin, After She's Gone
Girl Gone Viral by Arvin Ahmadi
FIC-SCI-FI AHM
Girl Gone Viral is the story about a group of friends who attend a prestigious technology school. We're living somewhere in the near future where AR & VR are the norm, where kids hang out in the WAVE, a VR spot where they can be anywhere and do anything they want, and Opal has just launched one of the hottest VR shows on the WAVE. Her dad disappeared 7 years ago, a tech giant in his own right, and she's hoping her success on the WAVE will help her find the answers to his disappearance. There's a lot of cool tech, a romance, lies, deception, and the election of an evil president that no one in the tech field is happy about. There's the story of good vs evil, but which is which? Are we fast forwarding toward a society where we have no privacy, where we're online constantly, where we're being tracked and monitored? Is that what we want? Where do we draw the line? All excellent questions that do need to be addressed in our society.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Hive, The Circle, Catfishing on the Net, Warcross
American Royals by Katharine McGee
FIC-HISTORICAL MCG
Alternate reality book showing what the US would be like if Washington had declared himself king instead of President. Told from multiple POVs, we get a look at the life of Beatrice, next in line from the throne, her sister Sam, who is the spare heir, Nina, Sam's best friend and girlfriend to Jeff, third in line, and Daphne, Jeff's ex girlfriend who is the stereotypical social climber who will do anything at all to get Jeff back. It's all very contrived and predictable, but cute in its own way. Beatrice has to be perfect, Sam is wild, and Jeff is gorgeous and all the girls want him. All the love stories are forbidden and hidden, and the ending leads right into the sequel.
Historical Fiction - Alternate History, Romance
Read this if you liked: Red, White, and Royal Blue, The Selection, Princess Diaries
Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie
FIC-ADULT ADI
Ifemelu and Obinze are young Nigerian college students in love who decide to go to America to finish school. Ifemelu gets a visa and goes, but Obinze is denied and cannot join her. It's tough on Ifemelu - she has a hard time finding a job and discovers racism, something that did not exist for her in Nigeria and tries to fit in in America. She abandons her relationship with Obinze because she feels like a failure and a fake. We follow Ifemelu's life for the 12 years she is in America and how she changes. She blogs about what it's like for a black person in America, and how many people think they're not being racists while indeed they are. When she finally decides to return to Nigeria, and enters into an even more complicated life.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Homegoing, Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Was, Pachinko, A Woman is No Man
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli & Aisha Saeed
FIC ALB
Jamie and Maya are a couple of teenagers who are helping to canvas for their state Senate campaign. Jamie is shy and can't imagine knocking on doors and talking to strangers. Maya is only doing it because her mother is making her. Maya's having a bad summer - her parents are splitting up and her best friend is going off to college and doesn't have time for her. But she and Jamie become friends but makes it perfectly clear that as a Muslim, she can't date. Jamie respects that, but likes her, and isn't sure about what to do. An adorable book
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Tweet Cute, The Voting Booth, Frankly in Love, The Sun is Also a Star
Love Letters of Abelard and Lilly by Laura Creedle
FIC CRE
Lily has ADHD and dyslexia, and Abelard, who is a genius on the spectrum, end up in the Principal's office one day, and impulsively, Lily kisses Abelard. From there, they start to text one another. Abelard is named after the title character of a book from the Middle Ages - The Love Letters of Heloise and Abelard - a real life (doomed) couple who were separated and wrote to one another. Lily and Abelard, very socially awkward, have an easier time texting, and they take quotes from the book to send one another. They are perfect for one another. Lily has the chance to have a surgery to alter the electrodes of her brain, and Abelard has the chance to go to a special school out of state. They have a very special relationship and they only want the best for one another.
Romance, Disability
Read this if you liked: Eleanor and Park, Say What You Will, Everything, Everything, Every Last Word
Of Curses and Kisses by Sandhya Menon
FIC MEN
A cute remaking of Beauty and the Beast. Princess Jaya and her sister, Isha, arrive at an elite boarding school after Isha is involved in a scandal and must leave the country. They go to the same boarding school that Grey Emerson goes to - and it just so happens that his family and Jaya's family have been feuding for years, and he's the one who started the rumor that ruined Isha. Jaya goes there with every intention of ruining Grey's life. How is she going to do that? Make him fall in love with her then break his heart. Grey believes Jaya's great great grandmother cursed his family and he is going to die on his 18th birthday which is rapidly approaching.
Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Read this if you liked: Beastly, Cinder, Ash, Dorothy Must Die, Cruel Beauty, Wraith & Dawn, Hunted
FIC AHD
Celine is running away from Paris to New Orleans after committing a horrible crime, one she can’t forgive herself from committing, and one that has changed her. But once she arrives, girls who are close to her begin to get murdered, and the murderer is after her. But the murderer isn’t human, it’s some sort of demon that Celine can’t fight on her own. Her new friends don’t seem to be of this world and they are the only ones who can help her. Gastien is wrong for her - he’s arrogant and evil - but he’s also beautiful and charming. As much as she wants to stay away, she is drawn to him, and he to her. There is such a love hate relationship between the two of them, and as much as they try to deny it, he wants to protect her. She is a fierce, strong woman, who doesn’t need a man to protect her, and she tells him at every turn.
Fantasy, Supernatural
Read this if you liked: Twilight, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Curse so Dark and Lonely, Ninth House
The Downstairs Girl by Stacey Lee
FIC LEE
We often read about the way African Americans were treated at the turn of the century when they had no rights. But we don't often read about the way Asian Americans were treated, and if this book is any indication, they were treated like they didn't even exist. Jo Kuan works as a milliner until she is fired because people found her 'disturbing'. But she soon finds work as a lady's maid, with a family she spent time with while she was younger, until one day when she was dismissed for no reason at all. Jo also stumbles into writing a newspaper advice column which ends up being the talk of Atlanta - it's funny and progressive, and but she can't let anyone know she's written it because she's Chinese and she has no rights. This books has a lot going on - race relations and segregation, her feelings for the newspaper man she sends her columns to, and a HUGE surprise when she finds out who her real mother is.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Fountains of Silence, Out of the Easy, Belle Epoque, Luxe
FIC LOC
Adelaide has the entire summer in front of her when she sees Jack, a boy she met two years ago and feels a real connection to. But when things happen that could go one way or another, Adelaide enters into alternate realities and lives out those realities until one of them 'sticks'. I'm not exactly sure if she's living in these other worlds or if it settles on the one that is the most realistic or what. But Adelaide tries to work through her feelings about Jack, Matt, the boyfriend who just broke up with her, and her relationship with her brother, who has been in and out of rehab for two years. She's disappointed in him, she's scared for him, and she wants their relationship to be the way it was although she knows it never will be. It was a story about relationships and how they are always changing.
Mystical Realism
Read this if you liked: Again, But Better, Every Day, If I Stay, Before I Fall, Life After Life
FIC LAW
May survived a school shooting by hiding in a closet while her twin brother and her teacher and friends were shot on the other side of the door. No one can blame her by being traumatized and angry, but she's having a hard time 'getting on with her life' like everyone is telling her to do. When she starts at a new school, she meets Zach, the first person she's been able to connect with after a year of agony. But when she discovers that his mother is the lawyer for the shooter, a women she has vowed to hate, instead of retreating from their friendship, she makes the unlikely decision of continuing it. The book gives us insight to survivor's guilt, how families are torn apart in the wake of a crime, and how hard it really is to just get on with life.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you like: This is Where it Ends, Hate List, That's Not What Happened, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock
We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia
FIC MEJ
Dani graduated at the top of her class at the Medio School for girls, where she is destined to be the wife of a high ranking government official. She will be Primera, who will stand by her husband and help run the home. The Segunda, his second wife, will be her opposite, caring for the children and bringing beauty into the home. When she discovers the Segunda is the one girl in the school who made her life miserable, Dani is deflated On top of that, she is being blackmailed by the Resistance, who want her to spy on her husband. Although Dani is afraid, she sees how her rich, spoiled husband treats the citizens of their country and she agrees to help them.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Grace & Fury, An Ember in the Ashes, Red Queen, Matched, Three Dark Crowns
The Meaning of Birds by Jaye Robin Brown
FIC BRO
Jess has anger issues. Her father died when she was in middle school and she began acting out - fighting was the way she coped. But with some therapy and patience, she started to straighten out. Then she met Vivi. Vivi was bright and filled with positivity, and wanted nothing but the best for Jess. She encouraged her to draw, and Jess felt like she had a purpose. They planned to go to college together and she pursue a degree in art. But then the unthinkable happens and Vivi dies unexpectedly. Jess immediately regresses to her old self, pushes away her friends, started to get into fights again, and threw away her art. She couldn't create if Vivi wasn't around. But when she enrolled in a work study program with a metal worker, she found her passion once again. It's a book about processing your feelings and making the right choices for yourself.
Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ, Romance
Read this: History is All You Left Me, Goodbye Days, I'll Give you the Sun, Everything I Never Told You
FIC-ADULT BAR
Alex Stern can see the dead. When a Dean from Yale shows up at her hospital bed after she was found at a murder scene, she jumps at his offer to come study at the school. She's going to be a monitoring the school's secret societies who raise the dead in order to achieve wealth and fame. But when a girl from town is murdered, Alex can't help but feel it has something to do with Yale's houses. Her investigation puts her life, and her friends' lives, in danger, and she continues even when the Dean tells her to stop. It's filled with ghosts, magic, and supernatural beings.
Supernatural
Read this if you liked: Discovery of Witches, Twilight, Serpent & Dove, The Beautiful, Chosen Ones
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay
FIC-REALISTIC RIB
When Jay Rugero finds out that his cousin from the Philippines has been murdered for being a drug dealer, he goes there for Spring break to find out what happened. His father told him not to talk about it - the family does not want to be reminded of the shame. Jay can't believe his family can be so callous - not even giving Jun a funeral - and wants answers. Jay and Jun had be as close as cousins could be who lived so far away - they were pen pals for a long time, although Jay wasn't always the best at keeping up. Jun poured his heart out in those letters, revealing a bit of a depression to Jay, until one day Jay just stopped answering him. And now he feels an incredible guilt for not being there for him. Jun's parents won't talk to him, but once he connects with his Uncle who is a priest, finds out the truth which devastates him. This is another novel where the character is 'not American' enough and not Filipino enough. Jay feels like he can connect with his relatives - he doesn't speak the language, he doesn't know its history, he doesn't know what they go through on a daily basis. At its heart, it's a story about belonging and culture.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Darius the Great is Not Ok, Black Enough, I An Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter
FIC YOO
Frank Li is the son of very traditional Korean parents who expect him to be a dutiful Korean son. But he is so torn. Yes, he's Korean, but he is also an American, born and raised here. He wants his own, full life which includes dating who he wants to date, but that's just not possible. When he meets Brit, very much not Korean, he has to date her in secret. But instead of explaining that to her, he keeps it from her which you just know is going to be an issue. He pretends to date Joy, a Korean friend of the family, which makes his parents happy. But then the inevitable happens and he and Joy do start to care for one another. Everything seems like it's finally working out until Frank's father and Joy's father have a terrible fight and now they are not allowed to see each other. It seems like so much goes on in this novel. It's not only a story about a HS love story (or stories, as the case may be), but also about culture, tradition, and lots of racism. Frank's parents won't speak to their daughter because she married a black man and it stays that way until Frank's father is diagnosed with cancer. There is a lot going on in this excellent book.
Realistic Fiction, Romance, Diversity
Read this if you liked: Yes, No, Maybe So, American Panda, When Dimple Met Rishi, Something About Sweetie
Where the World Ends by Geraldine McCaughrean
FIC MCC
Based on a true story about a group of villagers who are left on an island to hunt birds for their town's supplies. After they've been dropped off, a plague of sorts runs through their village and kills most of its inhabitants. No one comes to pick them up and they are left on the island for almost a year. With few supplies, they have to work to survive. Their troupe starts off with 3 adults and 7 kids. They have to figure out how to live, how to govern, who is going to lead, what are the rules. One of the adults appoints himself a self-proclaimed preacher, frightening the boys into being 'good, Christian souls'. The other adults didn't seem to do a good enough job taking control of the situation and let things get out of control.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Lord of the Flies, Wilder Girls, Beauty Queens, Life of Pi, I Am Still Alive
Killing November by Adriana Mather
FIC MAT
November wakes to find herself in a medieval boarding school that teaches its students not about regular academia, but about strategy, poisons, and fighting. She has no idea why she's here, how she got here, or how she can get out. Not only that, but the other students seem to know who she is and are out to get her. November makes some allies and figures out that her family has been keeping this big secret from her - that they were heads of this international syndicate and were behind many of histories greatest events. When another student is murdered, everyone thinks it's November and she has to clear her name.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: One of Us is Lying, Time Bomb, Good Girl's Guide to Murder, Defending Jacob
America Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
FIC-ADULT CUM
The story of Lidia, who owns a bookstore and befriends one of her customers. It turns out he's the head of a drug cartel, and when Lidia's journalist husband writes an expose on him, Javier kills her entire family in retaliation. She escapes with her son and begins their migration to America, living day by day with the fear that Javier is coming after her. Along the way, she befriends two young sisters and other migrants who help each other with the crossing. But there are also horrors on the road - the sisters are raped, Lidia is robbed, they are scared, hungry and thirsty. I don't know if it truly depicts what life is like for a migrant, but it was interesting.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Disappeared, The Radius of Us, Something in Between, American Street
Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
FIC SEP
Set in 1950s Spain, this book was many things - a historical fiction, a romance, a mystery, and at its heart was the story of how children were stolen from their parents are put into orphanages and sold for astronomical amounts of money. These children were taken from parents who were deemed anti-Franco and placed with 'proper parents' for an astronomical amount of money. The book follows Daniel, a rich 18 year old from Texas in Madrid with his parents. He meets Ana, a maid in the hotel where he is staying, and falls in love. He sees Madrid through the lens of his camera, hoping to understand the country and its people while trying to make a life for himself.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Before We Were Yours, Orphan Train, All The Light We Cannot See
FIC EME
How do you save the world from monsters if no one will admit they exist? This question is at the heart of Pet. Jam unknowingly releases Pet from one of her mother's paintings. It looks like a monster, but it has appeared in order to hunt a monster on the loose. In the town and time where Jam lives, all the 'monsters' (or evil people in the world), have been eradicated. They live in a virtual utopia where everyone is good and kind and there is no evil. So when Pet shows up, it's hard for Jam to even believe that there is anyone left to hunt. When it turns out that the monster is in her best friend's house, Jam is terrified, but she's part of the hunt now and must act. Monsters can be anywhere, even if you think you're safe. You have to be vigilant and you have to 'see the unseen', as Pet continually tells Jam. It's a reminder to look at the world with your eyes wide open and to make you you don't get too comfortable in your surroundings.
Supernatural, Dystopian, Realistic
Read this if you liked: Monday's Not Coming, Burned, Speak, Girl Made of Stars
FIC-REALISTIC KIN
There are the five teenagers lost in the Hemmings family's maze of tangled secrets. Only a generation removed from being simple Pennsylvania potato farmers, Gottfried and Marla Hemmings managed to trade digging spuds for developing subdivisions and now sit atop a seven-figure bank account, wealth they've declined to pass on to their adult children or their teenage grand children. It was a bit confusing at first, then everything fell into place and WOW!
From SLJ article:
Some of the topics in this story that are touched on include: racism, poverty, domestic violence, death and grief, secrets, the long lasting effects of trauma, teenage pregnancy, family dynamics and dysfunction, and depression and anxiety, just to name a few. King really asks the readers to consider things like privilege, especially economic and white privilege.
Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Bridge of Clay, The Realm of Possibility, Everybody Sees the Ants, Bone Gap
FIC-ADULT RUM
Told in multiple voices across different points in time about what a Muslim women must endure in her life. A woman is no man refers to the lack of choices that a woman has - she is constantly sheltered, must wait on a man hand and foot, submit to his every whim and constant abuses, and then be married off to a virtual stranger. It's how women are a burden and if you have a baby girl you are pitied. It's all about the men in this culture. The book shows women as literal slaves in the home, not even being allowed to leave to go to the store on their own. Even with all that horror, the title also represents the strength that a woman has - she's the backbone of the family, she keeps them together and preserves the culture which is something a man could never do. There was a passage that referred to a verse: Heaven lies under a mother's feet. It refers to how Islam respects women and how women should be treated because of their importance. But Deya, who in struggling with what she wants and what is expected of her, thinks it is sheer hypocrisy.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Americanah, Behold the Dreamers, Very Large Expanse of Sea, A Girl Like That
Thirteen Doorways Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby
FIC RUBY
Frankie, a young girl living in an orphanage during the depression with her siblings. Her father came to visit every Sunday until he remarried, then he went off with his new wife and essentially abandoned his kids. She wanted to hate her father, but she still loved him and wanted to be with him. She made a life for herself in the orphanage, even falling in love. But life was hard there, and when she did eventually leave and go back to her father, her 'evil stepmother and stepsisters made life hell for her. The other side of the book was about a ghost who visited the orphanage. The ghost was drawn to the people in the orphanage and would watch over them.
Historical Fantasy, Supernatural
Read this if you liked: Anya's Ghost, Name of the Star, The Graveyard Book, Miss Peregrine's Home
FIC POW
A suspenseful story about girls at a school on a remote island who were put under quarantine and left to fend for themselves. They don't know what's wrong with them and there is no cure. Each girl has a different reaction to the disease - one loses an eye, one has two spines, one has two hearts. Their symptoms come and go and they learn to care for one another, because no one else is - the teachers are gone. But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there's more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.
Horror and Suspense
Read this if you liked: The Grace Year, Sawkill Girls, Rules for Vanishing, Bunny, Where the World Ends
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
FIC REY
Ten different stories told by ten different students about what happens when they walk home after school. It's a look at the detours we face on the walk home, and in life - some have it easy, some have it hard, some have parents, others have no one, some have friends, others don't, some get bullied, others bully. Even though we come from the same place, our lives are completely different.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Long Way Down, Harbor Me, New Kid, Solo, How It Went Down
A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi
FIC-REALISTIC MAF
It's right after 9/11, and Shirin, a Muslim teenager is the new girl at school. She wears a headscarf and is continually bullied and told to 'go home'. She was born in California and is as horrified by what happened as everyone else is, but that doesn't seem to matter to anyone. All they see is her scarf. She meets Ocean, a beautiful boy who looks past what she is wearing and only sees her. She knows she can't be with this boy - her strict Muslim parents would never agree to it - but he's so nice and kind that she feels herself being drawn in. They face racist rants and hatred by the entire school and she continues to pull way. Can they ever have a relationship? Will the world allow it? Shirin did an excellent job of describing how she feels about her headscarf, how she feels protected and special, and how it is a part of her. The way she described it was beautiful. So if that was my only take away (and it wasn't, she did a great job educating me on Muslims and their lives), it was well worth the read.
Realistic Fiction, Diversity
Read this if you liked: Saints and Misfits, Love, Hate, & Other Filters, All American Muslim Girl
FIC PIN
Set in 1972, it's the story of 4 girls, told in each of their voices, going through unwanted pregnancies. In the 70's, young girls were sent away to have their babies, usually so no one actually knew they were pregnant and they could come home 'unscathed' after putting their child up for adoption. Some decided to keep them, and that usually came with strings, like being forced into a loveless marriage. One girl was raped by an uncle, one was a carefree rich girl who, one was a silly, poor girl from Alabama whose sister was trying to help her 'get rid of it'. It told of the friendships made, the fears of these girls, and the difficult decisions they had to make when they were just kids having kids.
Historical Fiction, Feminism, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Watch Us Rise, Girls on the Verge, Ask Me How I Got Here, Girls on the Line
The Love & Lies of Rukhsana Ali by Sabina Khan
FIC-REALISTIC KHA
When Rukhsana's ultra conservative parents find out she's gay, what happened to this poor girl - being dragged off to Bangladesh, being forced into a marriage - sounds completely impossible. Not to mention the Bangladeshi conversion therapy she was subjected to as well as her own mother drugging her and keeping her locked in her room. It sounds a bit far-fetched, but as Rukhsana tells her friends in the book, they just don't understand what she has to go through as a Muslim girl. She does everything her parents tell her just to make peace, but she's waiting for the day she can go off to college and be who she is meant to be.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: I Wish You All The Best, Juliet Takes a Breath, Tell Me Again How a Crush Should Feel
FIC LIG
Lord of the Flies meets the Hunger Games meets Handmaid's Tale. Girls at 16 are sent to live their Grace Year together in the wild - they are cut off from all society and must survive together. They are sent there to get rid of their 'magic' and return to become subservient wives. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. While they are there, something happens to them - their magic envelopes them and they become almost savage. Poachers are after them because it is thought their skin and limbs hold magical healing properties. Tierny tries to get the girls organized and working together to make their lives at the camp a bit easier, but crazy Kiersten is the one everyone follows, and she banishes Tierny out into the wild. It's a society where men have all the power and women have none - they are beaten, burned at the stake, can't congregate, don't work, nothing.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Handmaid's Tale, The Giver, Delirium, Unwind, Matched, The Selection
FIC-HISTORICAL BUT
Dana, a Black woman from the 1970's, is transported back in time to the early 1800's when slavery was still legal in the United States. She is 'called back' by an ancestor, Rufus, because he was in trouble. Dana and Rufus never figure out why this is happening, but Dana goes back and forth in time every time Rufus is in danger and she helps him. Rufus is the White son of a slave owner, with the mentality and prejudices of the time. Although Dana is somewhat safe from Rufus, she's still a Black woman living in the South and is treated as one. Kindred is the first Science Fiction book written by a Black woman.
Mystical Realism, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Beloved, Underground Railroad, The Water Dancer, Homegoing
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood
FIC-ADULT ATW
Set about 15 years after the end of The Handmaid's Tale, it is the story of what happens to Gilead in the future. The story is told from multiple POVs - Aunt Lydia who tells how she was brought to Gilead and her role in its creation; Agnes, a 14 year old girl who has grown up in Gilead and is preparing for marriage; and Daisy, a young woman living in Canada who ends up infiltrating Gilead.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Handmaid's Tale, Delirium, The Uglies, Matched
FIC-ADULT BAC
At first, we just think this is just a book about a youth hockey team who is on their way to the championship, and winning will bring new life to the town. Everyone is counting on them, and the boys have a lot of pressure on their shoulders. But then all of a sudden something terrible happens and the town is divided. Although this is so different from his other books, and it's a dark subject, it's still written beautifully. We learn that people can change, and others cannot, some will do anything to stay on top, and while some have morals, others definitely do not. Life must go on, and we must figure out a way to make it work.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Moxie, Exit, Pursued by Bear, The Way I Used to Be, Asking For It
FIC-FANTASY ROW
In the sequel to Carry On, the trio head off on a road trip to America and get into all sorts of adventures. Simon, after losing his magic in Carry On, is devastated and becomes depressed. Baz doesn't know if Simon loves him anymore and is afraid he never will again. But on the road trip, Simon starts to feel again. And that might have been part of the problem for me. Simon was so clinically depressed at the beginning of the book, it seemed like all that he needed was to ride in a Mustang convertible to make him feel better. But when it comes down to it, it's like a Harry Potter fan fiction, with three magical friends fighting the bad guys, and there's never anything wrong with that.
Fantasy, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Harry Potter, Red White and Royal Blue, The Magicians, Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, Let's Get Lost
Opposite of Always by Justine Reynolds
FIC-ROMANCE REY
When Jack meets Kate at a party, he falls for her hard. They spend an amazing 4 months together until she ends up in the hospital and dies. While he's processing what happens, he falls down the stairs and ends up back at the party 4 months earlier. It's ground hog day all over again. Jack figures it's so he can save Kate's life. But he tries and tries over and over again, and the result is always the same. Until the 5th time. Jack makes a lot of mistakes each time. Sometimes he hurts his best friends. Sometimes he alienates his parents. Once he chose to not even meet her. But each time it doesn't work out, until he finally figures out how to make the right choices and not hurt the people he loves.
Magical Realism, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Again but Better, Summer of Salt, Every Day, Before I Fall, Time Traveler's Wife
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
FIC-FANTASY LIM
Maia works as a seamstress in her father's shop. She lives in a time where women are subservient but it is her dream to work as the tailor for the Emperor which she knows can never happen. When the opportunity comes for her brother, she cuts her hair and goes to the Capital posing as a boy. The Emperor's Enchanter sees through her disguise, and when Maia has to complete a quest for sacred components to the gowns she has to make, he goes with her to help.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Sorcery of Thorns, Star Touched Queen, An Enchantment of Ravens, The Kiss of Deception, Throne of Glass, Girl of Fire and Thorns
Again, But Better by Christine Riccio
FIC-REALISTIC RIC
Shane is in London for a study abroad experience and is having a great experience and meeting good friends. She likes Pilot, the boy in the room next door. They flirt and have fun, but then the girlfriend from back home shows up and that's that. Things get complicated when Shane's parents show up. She's doing an English concentration but she told her parents she was there for premed and it blows up. Her semester abroad spirals out of control from there and she never sees Pilot again. Fast forward 4 years and she's getting engaged to Melvin, going to medical school, and is still trying to make her parents happy. She decides she wants to see Pilot and see if there is still anything worth pursuing. Although he's surprised to see her, he's happy to meet with her. But then something crazy happens - they are spirited back to London to redo their semester abroad. They can now have the relationship they never did, Shane can confront her parents, they can change it all. And although they do start a wonderful relationship, Shane takes the opportunity to fix all the mistakes she made with school and career, and use this time to do what she really loves and decide once and for all if it's more important to follow her heart or to try to make everyone else happy.
Realistic Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: Opposite of Always, Before I Fall, Two Lives of Lydia Bird, Every Day, Invisibility, If I Stay
FIC-REALISTIC BRO
Will, who is really short for his age, has accepted his fate. His stepbrother and best friend, Drew, is over 6 foot, and the girl he loves is 5'10. On his birthday, he decides he's finally going to tell her that he loves her, but when the gift she gives him puts him in the friend zone, he chickens out. Later that night, Drew asks her out and she accepts, so Will has to push his feelings aside. But something crazy happens, and Will starts to grow, and grow a lot. Over the course of the next year he grows almost 2 feet and becomes a minor internet sensation in the process. But the growth spurt changes a lot of things - his relationships, how he feels about himself, and how others see him. All of a sudden girls notice him and he gets a girlfriend. People are often afraid of him when he used to just blend into the background. He has a temper. He can defend himself. He has to figure out how to process all of it and how to keep himself grounded.
Humor, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Twisted, The Beginning of Everything, The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things, 100 Miles Sideways
Scars Like Wings by Erin Stewart
FIC STE
Ava has burns over most of her body after a house fire which took her parents and her cousin. After numerous surgeries, Ava is healing, but can hardly stand to look at herself in the mirror. She's scarred all over her body and face, she lost an ear, and her big toe has replaced a thumb. When decides to go back to school, she just knows it's going to end badly, but surprisingly, she makes friends. Piper has also been in an accident which has not only left her scarred but in a wheelchair. She's angry because she feels her old friends don't want her in their lives anymore. But she's a pip, with a great outlook on life. So the two of them become best friends and support one another through all the bullying and low times. Piper encourages Ava to try out for the school play. And even though she's scarred and scary looking, they cast her. When Piper has her lowest point ever and pushes Ava and everyone else away, Ava knows she has to be the best friend she can be to help her through her pain. It's a story about perseverance and survival, and friendship, and accepting people for what they are.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Not if I See You First, Five Feet Apart, Faceless, The Fault in our Stars, Holding Up the Universe
Rebel With a Cupcake by Anna Mainwaring
FIC MAI
Jess is overweight and she's ok with that. On most days, she looks in the mirror and likes what she sees. But then Zara, her own personal bully, makes her life a living hell, and when her crush Matt finally seems to notice her, Jess wonders if she should cave and lose some weight. She buckles and starts to diet and exercise. She has three weeks to fit into the dress she wants to wear to Matt's party and she does it. But then she sees Matt with Zara, so what good was it? She caved and it didn't matter anyway. It was a good book - funny and Jess was a good character with a great personality. But she gave into societal norms and lost the weight for a boy. Not the right message. But she exercised and got a healthy, so good message.
Realistic Fiction
Read this is you liked: Dumplin', PS I Love You, Leah on the Offbeat, Drag Teen, The DUFF, 45 Pounds, Fat Angie
Missing, Presumed Dead by Emma Berquist
FIC-MYSTERY BER
Lexi lives in a world where people have gifts - the ability to know the future, manipulate feelings, command fire. Lexi's gift is also a curse - she can see a person's death when she touches them. She hates her ability and tries to stay to herself. It's too hard to get close to people when you know when they'll die. She meets Jane who is violently killed and when her ghost won't leave her, Lexi goes on a mission to find her murderer. Jane wants revenge, and Lexi wants to help. Jane and Lexi form a close friendship and Lexi is reluctant to let it go because she can touch Lexi without fear and Jane accepts her unconditionally.
Supernatural, Mystery
Read this if you liked: Everlost, Anna Dressed in Blood, Anya's Ghost, In the Shadows of Blackbirds, Long Way Down, Paper Valentine, The Things She's Seen
Blanca & Roja by Anna Marie McLemore
FIC-FANTASY MCL
A modern retelling of Snow White & Rose Red which follows two sisters, one fair and sweet, the other dark and brooding. Because of a curse that is generations old, after the younger sister's 15th birthday, one will turn into a swan and the other will remain human. The sisters do everything they can to break the curse, but Blanca, the older sister, knows she will give herself up to the swans to save her sister's life. Through a lack of communication and misunderstanding, Roja thinks Blanca is trying to save herself and becomes bitter toward her sister. Enter Yearling, the blue eyed boy Blanca thinks is the key to saving her sister as as well as Page, the ??gender fluid?? person that Blanca is attracted to. They spend days all trying to save one another. In one story line, Yearling's cousin is literally trying to beat him to death because Yearling is going to tell a family secret about some land thief. I'm not quite sure why this story is even in the book, it was so random and out of place. I think the book is a commentary on what society feels is more valued - the blue eyed boy or the light skinned girl - and how we view ourselves.
Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling
Read this if you liked: A Curse so Dark and Lonely, Spin the Dawn, Step Sister, Curses and Kisses, Summer of Salt, Damsel
Sorry For Your Loss by Jessie Ann Foley
FIC-REALISTIC FOL
Pup is the youngest of 8 children in a loud, close, tight knit family. Three years ago his brother Patrick died and everyone in his family has their own way of dealing with it. Pup is in a support group at school, his brother Luke is drinking himself to death, his mother just ignores the fact that his brother is gone. But Pup wants to talk about him, wants to open up to his family. When he is assigned a photography assignment at school, he decides to take pictures of everything that is important to him, and he takes the opportunity to work through his feelings about his brother's death and the impact it has had on his family. This was a beautiful book about sorrow and grief and how everyone has their own way of dealing with it, but sometimes you have to rely on the people that are closest to you to help you through the darkest times.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Goodbye Days, History is All You Left Me, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, All The Bright Places
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen
FIC-REALISTIC DES
Emma was only 10 when her mother died, and her father doesn't like to talk about her. They were divorced and she was an addict, so even when she was alive, she didn't have much of contact with Emma - she lived with her dad and saw her mom when she could. She didn't know her mom's family, but through a series of events, she has to stay with them while her dad goes on his honeymoon. She isn't sure what to expect, and her cousins aren't very nice to her at first, but she perseveres. What she was happiest about are the stories they tell her. She doesn't know a lot about her mom and they fill in the details. She learns that families are messy - you can love them, but you can also fight, but you are always there for one another. There is of course an adorable romance, because it wouldn't be a Sarah Dessen novel without one.
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: 13 Little Blue Envelopes, Kissing in America, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Summer I Turned Pretty, Field Notes on Love
With The Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
FIC-REALISTIC ACE
Emoni is a high school senior with a 3 year old baby girl struggling to make it through classes, work, and just have enough energy for her life. She loves to cook and takes a culinary arts class - she wants to be a chef. Her mother has died, her father took off, so she only has her grandmother to help. Emoni is very mature - I guess she'd have to be with all that responsibility - and makes good decisions for herself and her daughter. I guess that's what the book is ultimately about - making the right decisions for you and your family. Doing the right thing, whether you want to do that thing or not. And although Emoni has a tough life, she does pretty much get to do everything she wants to do like go on a trip to Spain with her culinary class, go to college, have a boyfriend and a best friend, and actually has time to hang out with friends and date. Although it was a good book, I'm not sure how realistic it was and I don't think it shows the real struggles a teen mom is faced with.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Gabi, Girl in Pieces, The Poet X, After, Girls on the Verge
Two Can Keep a Secret by Kevin McManus
FIC-MYSTERY MCM
This kept me on my toes wondering if the murderer was this person or that, did they have something to do with the murder that happened years ago or just this one?? There were a lot of balls in the air - there was a murder that happened 17 years ago, another that happened 5 years ago, and one that happened today. It was hard to figure out what they all had in common. There were a lot of characters involved, and I did find myself forgetting who belonged to who and what went with what. But it was a good story and a complete surprise ending!
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Sadie, The Cheerleaders, Vanishing Girls, Broken Things, Complicit
People Kill People by Ellen Hopkins
FIC-VERSE HOP
Another winner from Ellen Hopkins, this one tackling the gun problem in our country. The book starts with an accidental shooting; a man mistakes his wife for an intruder and kills her. He sells the gun and the gun travels through various hands until we find out what it does at the end of the book. The gun itself is a character, a very strong, seductive voice enticing its users, coaxing them into using it on their enemies. In addition to the gun, the story is told in several voices, all have issues, all could potentially use it. In the end, although a gun is used, people can and do die in various other ways. So guns don't kill people, people kill people, and guns aren't the only way.
Novel in Verse, Realistic fiction
Read this if you liked: Anything by Hopkins, Light it Up, Violent Ends, This is Where it Ends, Hate List, Give a Boy a Gun, How it Went Down
I Wish You All the Best by Mason Deaver
FIC-REALISTIC DEA
Ben goes by the pronoun 'they' instead of 'him'. For me, it was a bit confusing at first. I kept thinking the author was referring to two people. When Ben comes out to his parents that he's nonbinary, to say it didn't go well is an understatement. They immediately throw them out of the house, no shoes, no phone, no money. They get to a pay phone and calls their sister, who they haven't seen in ten years. When she went off to college, she never came back to escape her parents. Hannah takes them in and does everything she can to make them feel welcome. She feels guilty for leaving them behind. She buys them clothes, enrolls them in school, and gets them a therapist to work through everything. Ben has a lot of issues, but tries to come out of their shell. Ben meets Nathan and finally feels like they've found someone to like. Nathan is very close to Ben and will often take their hand and remain close. Ben wonders if something can happen between them. At one point, Ben's parents contact them and want them to come home. I thought the parents acted appropriately - they told Ben they were sorry and had even done some research on the internet to try to understand. They were willing to try. But Ben completely shut them down and freaked out. I didn't quite get their reaction. Ben also never came out to anyone in the school and would always be annoyed that no one was using the correct pronoun. But if no one knew, how could they? There were a few spots that I felt Ben's character was a bit inconsistent, but this is the first book that I've read about someone who is nonbinary which is the way a person views their gender as opposed to their sexuality.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: The Music of What Happens, Like a Love Story, Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me, Wayward Son, How Not to Ask a Boy to Prom
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
FIC-ADULT WHI
Based on the true story of a reform school for boys in Florida. Elwood is a good boy. He studies hard, stays out of trouble, and lives with his grandmother after his mother and father took off. His teacher recommends him for a special accelerated program to take courses at the local college, but in order to get there he has to hitchhike. But when the car is pulled over by the cops and it's discovered to be stolen, they send Elwood to the Nickel School. A black boy in 1960s Florida in a stolen car must have done something wrong. Life was very hard at Nickel. There were beatings and rapes, the food was terrible, and the black boys were treated worse than the white boys. Soon after getting there, Elwood was beaten badly and ended up in the infirmary. There he met Turner who showed him the ropes and helped get him an easy assignment doing 'community service,' which was essentially free labor for the rich people in town, which was better than working in the fields at the school. The book has a very surprising ending.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Underground Railroad, American Dirt, Before We Were Yours, The Topeka School, Monster, Lockdown, Yummy
Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson & Ellen Hagan
FIC WAT
Jasmine and Chelsea are sick of the way women are treated even at their progressive NYC high school, so they decide to start a Women's Rights Club. They post everything online—poems, essays, videos of Chelsea performing her poetry, and Jasmine's response to the racial macroaggressions she experiences—and soon they go viral. But with such positive support, the club is also targeted by online trolls. When things escalate, the principal shuts the club down. Jasmine and Chelsea will risk everything for their voices—and those of other young women—to be heard.
Realistic Fiction, Feminism, Diversity
Read this if you liked: With Fire on High, Black Enough, On the Come Up, Moxie
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
FIC-REALISTIC WAR
The story of JoJo, a 13 year old boy essentially being raised by his grandparents. His mother is pretty absent - a young woman with a drug habit, and her father has been in jail. When both are around, they are abusive and distant. Jojo loves his grandparents and is the primary caregiver of his younger sister. Jojo discovers that he has the ability to see the dead and helps to usher one of the dead to the other side. The story deals with racism, loyalty, distrust, and so many other family issues.
Magical Realism, Diversity
Read this if you liked: Nickel Boys, Little Fires Everywhere, Red at the Bone, The Leavers, Lincoln and the Bardo
The Last Voyage of Poe Blythe by Ally Condie
FIC CON
Poe Blythe is the young captain of her failing city's last mining ship, travelling the Serpentine River and dredging up gold. But it isn't gold on her mind. Two years ago, river raiders robbed Poe of everything. And she wants revenge. As she navigates the treacherous waters and realises there's a traitor among her crew, Poe is forced to confront the dangerous truth about why she has been sent on this journey - and reckon with who she has become.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Seafire, Six of Crows, Carve the Mark, Incarceron, Aurora Rising
Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
FIC-REALISTIC KHO
Darius, who is half Persian, never feels like he fits in. He is being treated for depression, has no real friends, and is constantly being picked on. He feels like his father is always picking on him for not standing up for himself, for being overweight, and essentially for not being 'normal enough'. When the family goes to Iran to visit Darius' dying grandfather, Darius finds a boy, who like him, doesn't fit in quite right in his Iranian school for many of the same reasons. They become fast friends and Darius finally starts to accept himself.
Realistic Fiction, Diversity
Read this if you liked: Patron Saints of Nothing, Internment, Poet X, Frankly in Love, A Very Large Expanse of Sea
FIC-SUSPENSE HIL
When Vic was a little girl, she found that when she got on her bike and was looking for something that was lost, she could cross a covered bridge and she would be brought to the object. The bridge didn't exist, and Vic doubted her sanity. She made up excuses - she was dreaming, she had the object all along, anything to erase what was happening. Charlie Manx has a similar 'gift', but his involves taking children to Christmasland and killing their parents. When Vic tries to stop him, he nearly kidnaps her as well, but she gets aways and her 'visions' get worse. Fast forward years later - Vic has been in rehab, continues to doubt her sanity, and now has a son of her own that Manx is determined to take.
Horror
Read this if you liked: Anything by Stephen King, Imaginary Friend, Bird Box
FIC-REALISTIC BLI
Luke and Toby have been best friends forever. Neither has much - Luke's mom can barely hold a job and Luke is responsible for taking care of his young twin brothers. Toby's father is a drunk and a petty con who beats him. Luke is always picking up the pieces and protecting Toby, a job he doesn't mind doing. Things start to change when Annie moves to town. Toby is smitten, but she clearly prefers Luke. But when Toby's father enlists him to help with a job, everything starts to fall apart. Told in a narrative and by a series of letters written by Luke to Toby from death row.
Realistic Fiction, Epistolary Novel
Read this if you liked: Shout, Long Way Down, Devils Within, After the Shot Drops, Monster
Aurora Rising by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
FIC-SCI-FI KAU
Aurora was supposed to be on a mission to colonize a new planet, but something happened to her ship. 200 years later, Tyler, the Academy's star pupil, rescues her from cyrosleep from her spaceship. Everyone else is dead. Tyler takes her in and it is immediately evident that she was saved for a reason - the whole galaxy seems to be after her. Tyler's squad gets her to the colony she was supposed to fly to and they discover a being that wants to take over the entire galaxy.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: A Curse so Dark and Lonely, Spin the Dawn, Illuminae
I Hate Everyone But You by Gaby Dunn & Allison Raskin
FIC-REALISTIC DUN
Ava and Gen have been best friends forever but are now in colleges on opposite coasts. Ava is socially inept, has anxiety issues, has trouble making friends, and relies on Gen for everything. Gen is gender fluid, loves relationships, is outgoing, loves to party, and is just loving life. But they work as friends and are there for one another. They stay in constant touch via email and text, and the book is their back-and-forth over the course of the year. We see how they support each other, how they fight and make up, and how they change.
Realistic Fiction, Epistolary Novel
Read this if you liked: TTYL, Love and Other Carnivorous Plants, Fangirl, Freshmen, Let's Talk About Love
The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton
FIC-FANTASY CLA
Camellia is a Belle, a guardian of all the beauty in her world. Her people were cursed by the gods and born gray and ugly, but the Belles have the power to restore beauty. So they are revered, they are in demand, and they are loved. Every generation, a new favorite Belle is announced, and Camellia wants to be it, at all costs. But she soon finds out that there are mysteries surrounding her powers, there are Belles that she doesn't know about, and the royal palace is a dangerous place.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: The Uglies, The Selection, Crewel, Shadowhouse Fall
Love & Other Carnivorous Plants by Florence Gonsalves
FIC-REALISTIC GON
Danny and Sara have been best friends forever. They planned to go to college together and be roommates, but at the last minute, Danny was accepted to Harvard. That caused a bit of a strain on their relationship, but they have been trying to work through it. Danny ends up in a rehab center at the end of her 1st semester and is reluctant to tell Sara. She has a lot of issues stemming from her anxieties and Sara has gotten to the point where she doesn't want to deal with Danny any longer. Then tragedy strikes and Danny starts to spiral out of control. She finds out that Sara has been keeping secrets and struggles to cope.
Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: The Upside of Unrequited, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, Perks of Being a Wallflower
Storm and Fury by Jennifer Armentrout
FIC-SUPERNATURAL ARM
Trinity is the only one of her kind - half human and half angel, living among gargoyle shape-shifter protectors. When her protector, Misha, is kidnapped, Trinity will do anything to get him back. She leaves her clan to go with Zanye, an incredibly handsome protector, to try to find him. Together, they fight demons and all sorts of other beings to try to get to Misha, only to find out that they have been set up. Through all of this, Trin develops feelings for Zayne, which he is reluctant to return.
Supernatural, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Strange the Dreamer, The Girl at Midnight
FIC-HISTORICAL MIL
Circe, daughter of the sun god Helios, is a fabled goddess famous for witchcraft. She is exiled to an island by Zeus, but she revels in her solitude. And although she is banished to her island, she has many adventures and visitors. She created Scyllia, monster of the seas, birthed the minotaur, loved Daedalus, fights Athena, and had a son with Odysseus. This book was a journey through all of mythology, reveals the strength and growth of Circe, and shows the power of true love.
Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Mythology
Read this if you liked: Any Greek or Roman Mythology, Song of Achilles, Children of Blood and Bone
How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow
FIC-REALISTIC GLA
Tiger Toliver and her overprotective, single mother live together doing the best they can with what they have. When Tiger asks if she can go to the school dance, her mom says yes and buys Tiger a dress. It's the most hideous thing Tiger has ever seen. They get into a huge fight and she tells her to just leave her alone. It turns out those are the last words Tiger ever says to her mom. Hours later, she had a stroke and died. Tiger now has to face life without her. There is no family, so Tiger ends up in the foster system until a long lost half sister that she never knew about shows up. She isn't the best parental role model, but it's better than foster care. Within the next couple of months, Tiger gets into trouble - fights with her best friend, loses a boy, and is bogged down with intense grief. And through it all, she wears the dress her mom bought for her. The ugly, smelly, ratty dress that she never takes off. She wears it like a badge, because this is what her mother wanted for her.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Goodbye Days, Astonishing Color of After, History is All You Left Me, Perfect Mexican Daughter
The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry
FIC-MYSTERY HEN
Olivia has been in the foster system since she witnessed her parent's murder when she was three. It was always assumed that her father killed her mother and then fled the country, but when one of his bones turned up, the case was reopened. Olivia goes back to her hometown to do some investigating on her own to try to find her parent's killer. No one knows it's her, and she asks a lot of questions. She goes under hypnosis and remembers a bit, but not enough. When she goes to the murder site, the murderer shows up and tries to kill her as well.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: This is Our Story, Defending Jacob, Charm & Strange, Panic, We Were Liars
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott
FIC-ROMANCE LIP
Stella has Cystic Fibrosis and has spent much of her life in the hospital. She's a good kid with a great attitude, and she wants to beat this mostly because she thinks it will solve problems in her family life. When cute, daring, laid back Will shows up in the ward, she's immediately attracted, but he's too reckless for her. He no longer wants to submit himself to his treatments - he wants to get to his 18th birthday so he can walk out of the hospital and live whatever life he has left. But then he meets Stella, and he instantly falls for her. The trouble is, because they both have CF, they have to stay six feet apart at all times. But Stella rebels and does what little she can do, and takes one foot back.
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: The Fault in Our Stars, Everything, Everything, Zac and Mia
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
FIC-REALISTIC REY
Rashid was just minding his own business in the convenience store when he bent down and a woman tripped over him. Next thing he knows, a cop has dragged him out of the store and is beating him on the street. He ends up in the hospital and with the support of the community, he becomes the rallying cry for police brutality and racism. Quinn, his classmate and a white boy, saw the whole thing. The cop is the brother of his best friend, and is someone who helped raise him. The book was told in two voices, that of Rashad's and of Quinn's. Rashad is of course angry and frightened - the cops are always harassing the black boys and now he intends to make a stand with his family and friends. Quinn is so torn - stands to lose his family and friends if he does the right thing. But he stands up for what he knows is right. There's a lot to think about - white privilege, understanding what boys of color go through, and how to coexist.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Hate U Give, How it Went Down, X, Out of Darkness, The 57 Bus, Dear Martin, Tyler Johnson
FIC-FANTASY ARN
Ama is the damsel that is rescued from the dragon by the handsome Prince Emory. She doesn't remember anything about her life before she was rescued, all she knows is that she woke up in his arms and she is now to be his queen. This is the way it has always been in Harding, and she will continue with the tradition. But Ama finds she doesn't quite like Emory that much - he's a bit cruel and wants to keep her locked in the castle. She longs to be free to roam and do what she wants. And she's always cold - she can only find warmth in the glassblower's room. She starts to spend time there, and when she tries to blow glass, she finds that she creates spectacular pieces of things she has no memory of - a bird, flowers, and finally a dragon. Little by little, Ama starts to remember, and she knows she needs to be free.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Strange Grace, Tess of the Road, Uprooted, Seraphina, The Story of Owen
Little & Lion by Brandy Colbert
FIC-REALISTIC COl
When Little comes home to Los Angeles from her boarding school in New England, she isn't sure if she'll ever want to go back. L.A. is where her friends and family are, along with her crush, Emil. And her stepbrother, Lionel, who has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, needs her emotional support. When Little finds herself falling for the same girl her brother has fallen for, she steps back because she feels she has to support him. But when Lion goes off his meds and starts spiraling out of control, Little keeps his secret even though she isn't sure that it's the right thing to do.
Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: When We Collided, The Upside of Unrequited, The Great American Whatever
We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter
FIC-HISTORICAL HUN
This is the true story of the Kurcs, a large, very close family of Polish Jews living happily at the brink of WWII. When the war starts, the family does all it can to stay together, but that of course is impossible. They do the next best thing and try to survive apart, doing everything that they can to stay in touch and support one another. For the most part, they do lose touch, but they never lose hope. It is a horrendous, but the family perseveres.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Girl in the Blue Coat, The Boy Who Dared
Picture Us In The Light by Kelly Loy Gilbert
FIC-REALISTIC GIL
On the surface, Danny Cheng seems to have a great life - nice parents, he got into his dream college, great friends, living in a great neighborhood. But then one day he finds a box in his house that's filled with paperwork he doesn't understand. When he confronts his father about it, his father gets angry and won't give him any answers. He's frustrated, and tries to google it, but still comes up short. When his father loses his job and they can't afford their home any longer, Danny feels like his life is spiraling out out of control.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Dangerous Art of Blending In, The Sun Is Also a Star, Love, Hate, & Other Filters
I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter by Erika Sanchez
FIC-REALISTIC SAN
Julia is una hija malcriada - she does nothing right in her parent's eyes. She doesn't cook, she talks back, and she gets into trouble all the time. After her sister dies in a terrible accident, Julia feels the pressure to be the perfect daughter her sister was, but knows she can't. While going through her sister's room, she finds some things that make no sense and she tries to find out the secrets her sister was keeping. Through it all, all Julia wants is to be her own person, but her parents are suffocating her and she doesn't know where to turn. She realizes that everyone around her has secrets, and perhaps they are living the only lives they can.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: American Panda, Gabi A Girl in Pieces, Rani Patel in Full Effect, American Street
The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi
FIC CHO
In 1889 Paris, Séverin, infamous thief, is the rejected heir of House Vanth, and he longs to claim his inheritance. Hypnos is the patriarch of House Nyx and offers to help Séverin’s regain his house if he helps him retrieves a Horus Eye, an artifact which can reveal the location of a Babel fragment. Forging is a divine art, a power believed to come from the broken fragments of the Tower of Babel. To accomplish his mission, Séverin enlists the help of his closest friends, each with their own unique abilities.
Fantasy, Historical
Read this if you liked: Grave Mercy, Six of Crows, The Bone Witch, The Star Touched Queen
Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich
FIC-REALISTIC EMM
Evan Hansen is a loner. He has no friends, he doesn't like to leave his room, and he actually prefers it that way. But his mother and his therapist want him to expand his horizons, make friends, and put himself out there. He writes daily letters to himself which always start off with Dear Evan Hansen, Today is going to be an amazing day, and here's why. And then he proceeds to lie to himself and his therapist, because really, he only wants to hear something positive. Today is the first day of school, and he's determined to make an effort. But when he prints out his letter, and the school screw up finds it and takes it, that puts a whole series of events into motion. Connor kills himself later that day, and when his parents find the letter, they naturally assume that Connor wrote that letter to Evan as a goodbye and suicide note. Evan tries to tell them the truth, but they seem so happy to know that Connor had a good friend who he could turn to. And it just gets worse from there.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Turtles All the Way Down, Every Last Word, All the Bright Places, Thirteen Reasons Why, Impulse
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
FIC-STARRED ACE
Xiomara is an angry young lady. Her mother is a religious fanatic who wants her to do nothing but go to church and pray, stay away from boys, and 'do the right thing,' which she can never live up to. Her father is there, but doesn't interact with his family. Her twin is hiding something from her. Her best friend tries to understand her, but thinks she can be better. Her boyfriend didn't stand up for her when she needed him to. And the kids at school are mean - they taunt her and objectify her. So it's no wonder that Xiomara always wants to fight and scream. She has no outlet but in her poetry, where she pours out all her feelings. The novel is written in verse and tells her story beautifully. 2018 Printz Award Winner
Novel in Verse
Read this if you liked: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, Long Way Down, Swing, You Bring the Distant Near
What if it's Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
FIC-REALISTIC ALB
Told from two different POVs - Ben, a native New Yorker has just broken up with his boyfriend and is at the post office to mail back all his stuff, and Arthur, in NY for the summer working at his mother's law firm. Arthur sees Ben and he's instantly attracted, but he's never had a boyfriend, so he doesn't know what to do. When they become separated, he's beside himself because he didn't get his number. The search ensues, and miracle of miracles, they find one another. It's an adorable story of a first love and friendships, those of both Ben and Arthur, and navigating those difficult waters. Really good book, very real and not neat and tidy.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Simon vs the Homosapiens Agenda, I'll Give You the Sun, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White
FIC-SUSPENSE WHI
On the 100th Anniversary of the book Frankenstein, we have a YA look at Victor Frankenstein as a lonely child. He is lonely, and his family finds an orphan to be his friend. When Victor is older and goes to college, and she begins to worry that the family no longer has a use for her. She travels to find him but discovers he is experimenting and is worried he is losing his mind. She burns down his laboratory and in the process sees a monster - an abomination she fears will follow her and kill her and Victor. When her best friend is convicted of a murder and her body is taken, she discovers that Victor is once again experimenting. With the help of a friend, Elizabeth runs away, but finds that the monster is a kind soul who only wants a friend.
Horror
Read this if you liked: Frankenstein, Dracula, The Madman's Daughter, The Monstrumologist, This Dark Endeavor, Mary's Monster
FIC-FANTASY CAR
Princess Rora is promised to Prince Cassius who is a mighty storm fighter. Rora's family needs this match because she has no powers, a secret they are keeping until after the wedding. When she finds out he is using her as well, she runs away to get out of the marriage. She meets up with a group of storm hunters, hoping to learn how to steal magic and save her kingdom without having to marry the Prince. Locke reluctantly becomes her mentor and trains her to face storms. But her reaction to storms is unlike anything any of the storm hunters has seen, and instead of helping them, she becomes a liability, until the day she realizes she does have a power inside and figures out how to use it.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Under the Never Sky, Girl of Fire and Thorns, Grave Mercy, Shadow and Bone, Gracleing
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
FIC-FANTASY BLA
Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she was taken, along with her older twin sister, to the fairy world. Since that time, she has come to accept her new home, and trains to become a knight. Prince Cardan is one of her classmates, and he hates her because she is human. He tortures her daily. His brother, Prince Dain takes her as a spy, and is poised to become the next King until. When the court erupts in turmoil, Jude and Cardan must work together to save the kingdom.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Strange the Dreamer, Blood Rose Rebellion, Court of Thornes and Roses
FIC SUM
Sadie's mother is an addict who has left her to care for her sister Mattie alone. Sadie loves Mattie like a mother would a child, and when she turns up dead, Sadie goes on a quest to find her killer. She searches for Keith, one of her mother's ex boyfriends, but we don't know why she thinks he's involved until close to the end when we learn the devastating truth of what happened. Told in two perspectives - one by Sadie and the other by Wes Macray, a radio personality who is searching for Sadie, hoping to find her before it's too late.
Mystery, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Blink and Caution, Don't Look Back, The Lovely Bones, Paper Towns
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
FIC-RBK SUL
Based on a true story, Pino Lella is 17 years old and living in Italy when he is asked to help transport families of Jews across the Alps and into Switzerland. He then joins the German army, becomes a spy, and drives a car for General Leyers, Hitler's right hand man in Italy. Driving Leyers, Pino learns many of the secrets of the Third Reich and is instrumental in helping Italy and the resistance during WWII.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Nightingale, All the Light We Cannot See, Unbroken, Before We Were Yours
The Darkest Star by Jennifer Armentrout
FIC-SUPERNATURAL ARM
Evie meets Luc one night in a nightclub that is a notorious hangout for the Luxes, aliens who are incredibly beautiful. He is young, gorgeous, and arrogant, and Evie wants nothing to do with him. But when he shows up at her house and her mother pulls a gun in him, Evie starts to uncover the truth about who her parents are, who Luc is, and ultimately who she is. Luc is very protective and very much in love, and Evie wants nothing to do with him. And once she finds out the truth, she doesn't know where here loyalties lie.
Supernatural, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Twilight, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Lux Series, Strange the Dreamer
Speak No Evil by Uzodinma Iweala
FIC-REALISTIC IWE
Niru seems to have it all. An affluent family, early acceptance to Harvard, a star track runner, and a wonderful best friend. But Niru is gay, and he can't let his strict, conservative family know. When his father finds out, he is taken back to Nigeria for a Christian conversion therapy which he goes along with just to appease his family. Niru is so conflicted - he wants to do the right thing and make his family proud, but he also wants to be true to himself and be happy. A tough read.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: The Miseducation of Cameron Post, Girl Mans Up, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda
That's Not What Happened by Kody Keplinger
FIC-REALISTIC KEP
Leanne is a survivor of a school shooting where her best friend, Sarah, was killed. For three years everyone has thought that Sarah died a martyr, standing up for her religious beliefs, but Lee was there and knows that it didn't happen that way. When she tries to set the record straight, she is harassed by the community who wants to believe the story of Sarah.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Violent Ends, Crash and Burn, Hate List, Nineteen Minutes, This is Where it Ends
A Heart in a Body in the World by Deb Caletti
FIC-REALISTIC CAL
Annabelle has had some sort of tragedy in her life, and one day, she just snaps. She starts running across the country, from Washington state to Washington DC in order confront her elected officials and just do something. Her grandfather offers to follow her help, and along the way Annabelle goes through highs and very lows, remembering what happened and how it all started. She remembers how she met 'the taker' and the events that led up to the tragedy, which we don't know about until the very end. At some point, Annabelle decides that instead of being scared and frail, she is angry and she is going to keep going to prove a point not only to herself but to him. Very good book about a woman's perseverance and desire to fight back.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Handmaid's Tale, The Fault in Our Stars, Faceless, And We Stay
FIC-DYSTOPIAN DAL
The ultra conservative have taken over and has decided that a woman's place is in the home and she should be seen and not heard. Women are no longer allowed to work, read, write, vote, or talk. They wear word counter bracelets and are limited to 100 words a day. Little girls in school are rewarded with ice cream when they don't speak at all. When Dr. Jean McClellan is offered the opportunity to take off her device and help cure the President's brother, she reluctantly takes it, but decides to use this time to save herself, her daughter, and to reverse the injustices happening to all women.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Handmaid's Tale, Only Ever Yours, Delirium, Matched, The Giver, Unwind
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
FIC-DYSTOPIAN BRA
When Ruby turned 10, she woke up to discover she had the power to read minds and to take away memories. Something is happening to the children, and the government has set up camps to rehabilitate them. But years later, there has been no rehabilitation and much pain and death. Ruby escapes, but even that isn't what it seems. She escapes her 'rescuers' and meets up with other kids who have been in camps. She travels with Liam, and they go looking for a secret haven for kids like them with special powers. When they get there, it's feeling less like a refuge and more like the camps they just came from.
Dystopian, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: All Our Yesterdays, Delirium, The Program, Enclave, For Darkness Shows the Stars
The Universe if Expanding and So Am I by Carolyn Mackler
FIC-REALISTIC MAC
The sequel to The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things, this is the funny and sometimes sad story of Virginia, a smart, funny, and curvaceous High School sophomore. The rest of her family is perfect - from the outside at least - and it makes her feel bad. But as the book progresses, we find that they are not, and she is pretty happy with herself the way she is. And she meets a cute boy along the way!
Romance, Humor
Read this if you liked: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things, Dumplin', Future Perfect
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty
FIC-FANTASY CHA
Nahri has never believed in magic. She knows better than anyone that palm readings and healings are all tricks, but when she accidentally summons a dark djinn warrior, she's forced to accept that the magical world she thought was just stories is actually real. She travels to the city of brass and learns all about court politics and the power of magic.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Wrath and the Dawn, Star Touched Queen, Daughters of Ruin, The Reader
Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli
FIC-REALISTIC ALB
In this companion to the phenomenal Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Simon's best friend, Leah is in agony and is confused. She knows she's bi, and she thinks she has feelings for Abby, but can't figure out if Abby is sending signals to her. Insert Garrett, who does have feelings for Leah, and she doesn't know what to do. Leah is completely filled with teenaged angst and is trying to find her place in the world.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, Perks of Being a Wallflower, Dumplin'
An Unkindness of Magicians by Kat Howard
FIC-FANTASY HOW
This is like a dark Harry Potter. Every twenty years or so, the magical world holds The Turning, a contest to determine who will head the magical world. The contest includes feats of magic which sometimes lead to death. In this world, magic comes with a price. If you are a pure magician, after you perform an act, you pay for it with pain. But most magicians don't feel any pain because they have traded their pain for a sacrifice to the House of Shadows, but that's causing magic to fade. Sydney, fighting for control of the Turning, is trying to defeat Shadows and save the magical world.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Harry Potter, The Magicians, Beautiful Creatures, The Cruel Prince, Lady Midnight
Mapping the Bones by Jane Yolen
FIC-HISTORICAL YOL
Chaim and Gittel escape from the Polish ghetto only to be captured and sold into a forced labor camp. Chaim, from the time he was a baby, hardly spoke, but instead wrote poetry. Gittel was the spokesperson for the two and protected her brother at all costs. Chaim vows to write and remember his poetry as testimony to the atrocities of their time in captivity. While together at the camp, a doctor discovers they are twins, and in an effort to impress Mengele, starts a series of evil experiments on them.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Paper Hearts, The Devil's Arithmetic, Salt to the Sea, Number the Stars
One of Us is Lying by Karen McManus
FIC-MYSTERY MCM
Like a modern day Breakfast Club, five students go into detention - a jock, a princess, a nerd, a delinquent, and a wanna-be, but then the unthinkable happens, and one of them dies. The police spare no time accusing each of them with the crime as evidence arose, even going so far as to believe they were all in on it. Simon, the boy who died, was the keeper of a gossip column, and each of the remaining four had secrets they wanted to keep. Was that motive enough? The four decide to put their fate in their own hands and try to figure it out for themselves before the police put one of them in jail.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: We Were Liars, When I Am Through With You, All of This is True, Ten
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
FIC-STARRED ADE
Orisha was a land of magic until King Saran killed all the Magi and took their magic from them. With the discovery of a sacred scroll, Zelie has the chance to bring magic back to the entire kingdom. With the help of her brother Tzaine and the princess Amari, they embark upon a journey to recover the sacred relics. While on their journey, Amari's brother Inan is trying to stop them. In the midst of their quest, Inan joins forces with them and discovers he also has magical powers and is torn about his loyalties. Does he continue to support his father and suppress his magic, or does he allow himself to fall in love with Zelie and build a strong monarchy?
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: The Cruel Prince, Frost Blood, Strange the Dreamer, Scythe
SC ARM
Whether or not you believe in fate, or luck, or love at first sight, every romance has to start somewhere. MEET CUTE is an anthology of original short stories featuring tales of "how they first met" from some of today’s most popular YA authors.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Problem with Forever, How to Love, We Are Okay, The Sun is Also a Star
Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman
FIC-DYSTOPIAN SHU
In the not too distant future, California runs out of water. The 'Tap Out' causes chaos - people are fighting each other for water and anything liquid suddenly becomes priceless. When Alyssa's parents go in search of water but never come back, she, her brother, and neighbor Kelton, go first searching for them, then go off in search of water. They meet up with two other teens and each slowly changes into people who they no longer recognize.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Fifth Wave, Not a Drop to Drink, All Our Yesterdays, Orleans
If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo
FIC-REALISTIC RUS
After having gender reassignment surgery, Amanda gets assaulted at her school so she leaves to live with her father where no one knows her and her past. She's a senior and wants to keep her head down, graduate, and get out. But on her first day, something happens - other kids talk to her and befriend her - something she never had before as a boy. Then she meets Grant, and she knows she should stay away, but now there is a boy who likes her, which is something she never thought she'd have. She starts to feel bad about keeping her secret, and tells one of her new friends. But when she tells everyone in school, Amanda runs back to her mother because she feels like she's lost the life she made in her new home.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, Drag Teen, Lizard Radio
FIC-HISTORICAL GRA
Told from three different points of view during three different times in history, this is the story of three families who are refugees looking for new lives. Josef is running from the Nazis, Isabel is fleeing from Castro's Cuba in the 90's, and Mahomoud is leaving Syria in 2015. All three face life and death situations and encounter atrocities no child should see. Their lives converge in the end in a very believable way.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Salt to the Sea, Girl in the Blue Coat, Bitter Side of Sweet, Never Fall Down
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
FIC-ROMANCE DES
Sydney's brother is loved by all and she feels pretty much invisible at home. When he starts to get into trouble, then gets into real trouble and is jailed, she becomes even more invisible because her parents are so focused on him and his issues. She meets Mac and his family and really connects with them. Sydney's mother is super strict, and doesn't want her spending too much time with them. Even though she's a Senior in HS, they don't want her home alone when they're going to be away. They enlist the brother's weird friend, who she's totally uncomfortable around, but instead of telling her mother that she's afraid of him, she accepts it.
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Boy Most Likely To, I'll Meet You There, North of Beautiful, When We Collided, Infinite In Between
Eliza and Her Monsters by Francesca Zappia
FIC-STARRED ZAP
Eliza is a teenage introvert who happens to be the creator of an incredibly popular web based comic. She spends all of her time drawing and online, and her parents worry that she doesn't have a social life. She can't make them understand that this is her life, her friends are there, her work is there, and it's just as valid as real life. Eliza meets Wallace, a new boy in school who doesn't like to speak who happens to be a huge fan of the comic. They are both very shy and socially awkward and take a long time to show their feelings, but spending time with Wallace makes her realize that maybe she has been missing out on life. When the world finds out who she is, her life spirals out of control and she withdraws even further.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Eleanor & Park, Afterworlds, Fan Girl, Highly Illogical Behavior, Say What You Will
A Short History of the Girl Next Door by Jared Reck
RIC-REALISTIC REC
Matt has been in love with his best friend and next door neighbor for years. Now that they're in high school, Maddy has started to date a popular senior and it's driving Matt crazy. It's causing a strain on their relationship, but he doesn't know how to fix it. On New Year's day, a tragic accident leaves Matt alone and desperate and unable to cope. What started out as a fun and light book got really heavy really fast. We can't help but feel for Matt and everything he's going through until his mother reminds him that everyone else is feeling a loss as well.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: What to Say Next, Second Chance Summer, Everything, Everything, My Life Next Door
Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust
FIC-FANTASY BAS
This is a Snow White retelling. Mina, who is married to the king, has a heart made of glass and she's afraid she'll never know how to love or be loved. Her step daughter, Lynet, who never feels cold, is made of snow. Both have powers and can manipulate their elements at will. When the king dies, Mina wants to be Queen, even if that means harming Lynet. Entwining the stories of both Lynet and Mina in the past and present, Girls Made of Snow and Glass traces the relationship of two young women doomed to be rivals from the start. Only one can win all, while the other must lose everything unless both can find a way to reshape themselves and their story.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Winter, Forest of A Thousand Lanterns, Mechanica, Beastly, The Sleeper and the Spindle
FIC HEN
Nate, at the age of 14, murdered his father, the head of a White Supremacist group. After spending 2 years in a juvenile facility, he is released to his Uncle who wants nothing to do with him. Even though Nate was raised to hate anyone who isn't white, Nate knows that's wrong and wants to be a better person. He meets Brandon, a black boy who becomes his best friend. When the members of the group find him, he wants to save his friend and the whole town, and realizes he has to tell the truth about his past.
Mystery
Read this if liked: The 57 Bus, The Hate U Give, Give a Boy a Gun, Small Great Things, Between the World and Me
FIC-ROMANCE POS
A retelling of Cinderella, Elle is a fan of Starfield, a SciFi show she and her dad used to watch together. Darien is the teenaged actor slated to play him in the upcoming movie, and Elle is not happy that he is playing her favorite character. When Darien texts Elle's cell phone by mistake, they start to text one another without names or knowing who the other is. They start like one another, and Elle decides to try to meet him at ComicCon. True to Cinderella, the evil stepmother and stepsisters get in the way of Elle's happiness, but she finally makes it to the ball to meet her Prince Charming.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Don't Cosplay with my Heart, Cinder, Ella Enchanted, The Selection, Ash
The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
FIC JEN
Set during WWII, Noa, a pregnant teenager, has disgraced her family and is cast out. Her baby is taken from her, and while living on the streets, she finds a train car full of Jewish babies destined for a concentration camp. She takes one and runs. Noa ends up in a camp of circus workers and they take her in, but she must learn to become a trapeze artist in order to hide. She learns from Astrid, a Jewish woman who was married to a German solider until her marriage was deemed illegal. Together, they protect one another and try to survive the war. Based on a true story.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked:Water for Elephants, Orphan Train, Code Name Verity, Nightingale, Before We Were Yours
Don't Get Caught by Kurt Dinan
FIC-REALISTIC DIN
Max and 4 other 'nobody' students at school all get invitations from the infamous Chaos Club to meet at the water tower at midnight. Even though they can't figure out why they've been selected, they go only to realize they've been set up. Max decides to get revenge, and the others go along with him. The rest of the school year is filled with pranks and humor, and Max finally finds a group of friends in High School, when he always felt like he was a nobody.
Humor, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Dan vs. Nature, The Disreputable History of Frankie L Banks, Enter Title Here
FIC-DYSTOPIAN Oh
When Jaewon is recruited into the most lucrative weapons development division in Neo Seoul, he is eager to claim his best shot at military glory. But the mission becomes more complicated when he meets Tera, a test subject in the government’s supersoldier project. Tera was trained for one purpose: to pilot one of the lethal God Machines, massive robots for a never-ending war. - goodreads
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Want, Tool of War, Warcross, Proxy, Zeros
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
FIC-FANTASY TAY
Lazlo is an orphan, always dreaming of another life filled with excitement and adventure. Sarai is the daughter of a god, living in secret high above the city with her siblings. The people of the city hate the 'godspawn' because of the terror the gods caused them. Sarai can slip into the dreams of the people of Weep, and when she enters Lazlo's dream, she is seen for the first time. Over the course of just a few days, they fall in desperately in love. But the people of Weep are trying to destroy Sarai's home, and Lazlo is doing all he can to save her. My best book of the year!
Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Read this if you liked: The Cruel Prince, The Reader, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Caraval, Carve the Mark
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
FIC-ADULT WIN
Based on real events, children in Tennessee from the 20's to the 50's were very likely to be kidnapped and sold to the highest bidder in an orphanage. Georgia Tann would steal children from their homes, tell mothers at the hospital that their babies were stillborn, or make them sign their children away with the promise of caring for them. In reality, they were abused, beaten, starved, and separated from their families. This is the story of 5 siblings who were taken. The oldest sister, Rill, tries her best to protect her brother and sisters but they are separated. Fast forward to the present, and Avery gets a mysterious letter which implicates her grandmother, in some way, to the orphanage. She digs deeper and deeper and finally finds the connection.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: We Were the Lucky Ones, Orphan Train, Ordinary Grace
Our Chemical Hearts by Krystal Sutherland
FIC-ROMANCE SUT
When Grace comes into Henry's life, she appears very odd. She's wearing boys clothes, smells a little, and is a bit damaged, but he starts to fall for her. As time goes on, Henry starts to find out what's going on in her life - her boyfriend has died in a terrible crash and she is mourning him by wearing his clothes and living in his house. But Henry is in love, and he just knows that Grace loves him too, even if she doesn't always show it. First loves are hard, and Henry doesn't want to give up, but Grace may be too damaged for him to help.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Eleanor & Park, Holding Up the Universe, Words in Deep Blue, Something In Between
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
FIC-STARRED-REALISTIC REY
Will's older brother, Shawn has been shot. Will knows the rules - Shawn taught him - no crying, no snitching, and get even, so he knows he has to avenge Shawn's death. The book, in verse, takes place in the elevator in Will's building. As the elevator stops at each floor, another person in Will's life gets on. Each person is someone who has been shot because of the rules, and then he finally sees Shawn. Will doesn't know if following the rules is the right thing to do and looks to each of these ghosts to help him figure it out.
Novel in Verse, Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Monster, Read Between the Lines, The Outsiders, iBoy
They Both Die At The End by Adam Silvera
FIC-DYSTOPIAN SIL
Well, the title certainly gives the ending away. Death Cast makes call at midnight every night to let people know they are dying at some point in the next 24 hours. Mateo and Rufus get their calls, and find each other through Last Friend, an app that helps 'Deckers' find someone to spend their last day with. Mateo is a timid, scared boy, who rarely leaves the house. Rufus is a foster child who has made some bad choices. Both boys want to live their last day overcoming their fears and shortcomings. In one day, they help each other become the people that they wanted to be if they had more time in life. A bittersweet story of friendship, love, and loss.
LGBTQ, Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Sun is Also a Star, Scythe, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, Whatever
Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
FIC-FANTASY CAS
Jane has lived a mostly ordinary life, raised by her aunt Magnolia, whom she counted on to turn life into an adventure. When an old acquaintance, Kiran Thrash, blows back into Jane's life and invites her to a gala at the Thrash's extravagant island mansion called Tu Reviens. Jane remembers her aunt telling her: 'If anyone ever invites you to Tu Reviens, promise me that you'll go.' What Jane doesn't know is that at Tu Reviens her story will change; the house will offer her five choices that could ultimately determine the course of her newly untethered life. But every choice comes with a price. She might fall in love, she might lose her life, she might come face-to-face with herself. At Tu Reviens, anything is possible--Dust jacket flap.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Midnight at the Electric, Ghosts of Heaven, Scorpio Races, Book of a Thousand Days, Where Futures End
Release by Patrick Ness
FIC-REALISTIC NES
The book spans one entire day in Adam's life. All he is focused on is being allowed to go to the 'get together' (NOT party!) for his ex-boyfriend. His ultra conservative religious parents refuse to admit that their son is gay, and he's ok with that because it makes life easier for him. But as the day progresses, things get harder - his boss makes a pass at him, his best friend drops a bombshell on him, his brother drops an even bigger one, he fights with his boyfriend, and then confronts his father with everything. By the time he gets to the party, he's not sure where his life is headed. Interwoven in all of this is a spirit who seeks revenge on her killer. I still don't understand where this all fits into the story, and as far as I'm concerned, can be completely skipped.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: More Happy Than Not, History is All You Left Me, Gravity of Us
The Five People You Meet in Heaven
FIC-ADULT ALB
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom is a novel that begins with a countdown to the death of Eddie, a crippled, elderly man who works in maintenance at a seaside amusement park called Ruby Pier. Eddie has always wanted to leave Ruby Pier to make a better life for himself elsewhere but has never been able to. In his death, Eddie is greeted by five different people who teach him a lesson that he wasn’t able to learn in his life. As we learn more and more about Eddie, we learn more and more little lessons and morals the author was trying to get across.- Reviewed by Emily Bazewicz
Mystical Realism
Read this if you liked: Tuesdays with Morrie, The Time Keeper, Wednesday Letters
American Sniper by Chris Kyle
Military 956.7044 KYL
American Sniper is about one of the best snipers in Navy Seals history. Chris Kyle talks about his journey from joining the military to starting the family. Chris explains the struggles of relationships when being deployed and coming home with onset PTSD. However Through his career he never settled and always strived for the best ~ Reviewed by Victoria Cotero
Non Fiction, Military
Read this if you liked: Warriors heart , Thank You For Your Service, No Easy Day, Lone Survivor
The Leaving by Tara Altebrando
FIC-MYSTERY ALT
Six were taken. Five return. The Leaving tells the story from different viewpoints of two of kids, now teenagers, that returned, and the sister of the boy who did not. Everyone is trying to get their questions answered and find out what happened, especially to the boy who’s still gone. This exciting mystery will leave you on your toes to find out what happens next, you will not want to put it down. - Reviewed by Lyndsey Corsi
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Dreamland Social Club, Don't Look Back, Afterward, Conjured, Girl in the Blue Coat, Slated
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
FIC-SCI-FI CLI
In a dystopian future where the world is overpopulated and the economy is crumbling, people escape their problems by living in the virtual reality game world of the OASIS. In the OASIS you can be anything or anyone you want to be. When the creator of this world dies, he leaves behind a quest to find an Easter egg. Whoever finds the egg wins control of the OASIS and the creator's fortune. - Reviewed by Corinne Rasmussen
Sci Fi, Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Warcross, Ender's Game, The Martian, Armada, Genius, Arena
The Cruel Prince - Holly Black - Series: The Folk of the Air
FIC-STARRED-FANTASY BLA
Jude and her sisters were young girls when her parents were murdered and she was taken to the High Court of the Faerie to live. As a human in a world of fantastic creatures, she is discriminated against and has to constantly prove and protect herself. She is trying to find her place in this world. Civil war breaks out and threatens her plans, her family, and the world she lives in. Reviewed by Corinne Rasmussen
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Wonder Woman, Now I Rise, Red Queen, Selection, Ember in the Ashes, Court of Thorns & Roses
The Girl I Used to Be by April Henry
FIC-MYSTERY HEN
At the age of three, Ariel’s mother was brutally murdered and her father was nowhere to be found. Her father was the sole suspect for fourteen years, until new evidence arises and proves his innocence: his jawbone. It is discovered the father was killed the same night as the mother. These events cause Ariel to visit her old town and reflect on the life she use to live as she tries to discover the identity of her parent’s murder and learn the truth. - reviewed by Kyle King
Mystery
Read this if you liked: The Day She Disappeared, The Body in the Woods, Dead Girls Don’t Lie, Girl in a Bad Place
Simon Vs the Homosapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
FIC-REALISTIC ALB
Simon is a closeted gay boy living in a large town in Georgia. He is in an online relationship with a boy, who uses the Alias of Blue. Both fear sharing their true identities to each other although both are in love with each other. Simon’s emails to Blue are seen by a boy, Martin, who threatens to expose and out Simon if he does not meet with Martin’s term. Simon is forced out of the closet to reveal his identity to the world as he tries to figure out who Blue is. - reviewed by Kyle King
Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ+
Read this if you liked: Call me by Your Name, Cupid Painted Blind, Will Grayson Will Grayson, Openly Straight
The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas
FIC-FANTASTY MAS
Divided into five different stories, the reader gets insight as to how Calaena became the person she is throughout the rest of the the Throne of Glass series. Her tales come from all over the world and each have their own special qualities to make them unique. As she sets out on many different missions, she must find out who she wants to be in life. Along her journey, she not only finds friendship, but she finds herself. - reviewed by Skylar Peia
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, Red Queen, A Kingdom of Exiles
We Know it was You by Maggie Thrash (Strange Truth Series)
FIC-MYSTERY THR
A normal football game turns for the worse when Brittany Montague jumps off a bridge. Brittany was their mascot and was well liked by everyone. Everyone accepted that it was a suicide, but there are more things at play. Benny Flax and Virginia Leeds investigate the mysterious circumstances and discover more than they intended. A quiet prep school will never be the same again. - Reviewed by Patricia Lalo
Mystery
Read if you liked: The Body in the Woods, Nearly Gone, Spontaneous, Falling Over Sideways, Female of the Species
Violent Ends by Shaun Hutchinson
FIC-STARRED-REALISTIC HUT
It’s easy to say that someone who commits a school shooting is devoid of any morals and is the definition of evil. Violent Ends shows that there’s more to someone than meets the eye. The book is written with seventeen different perspectives talking about the school shooting and the shooter with new eyes. Is Kirby evil or misunderstood? - Reviewed by Patricia Rose Lalo
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Only Child by: Rhiannon Navin, This Is Where It Ends by: Marieke Nijkamp, Nineteen Minutes by: Jodi Picoult
What Girls are Made of by Elana Arnold
FIC-REALISTIC ARN
Nina is in love with Seth and will do whatever it takes to keep him happy. If he wants sex, she'll give it to him, she'll stay away from her friends, and she'll play by all of his rules. But her mother has warned her that love is unconditional, and when Seth finally leaves her, she spirals and tries to figure out her place in life without her boyfriend. She finds out she's pregnant, and doesn't even blink. It's about how a teenage girl feels about her body and what she's willing to do.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: American Girls, Fallout, The Impossible Knife of Memory, Girl in Pieces
Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley
FIC-ADULT OAK
Jubilee has a rare allergy, she's literally allergic to other people. At the age of 18, she kissed a boy and nearly died, then stayed in her house for the next 9 years. After her mother died and there was no money, Jubilee realizes she must find a job and risk getting close to people. She gets a job in a library, and one day while going home, she sees a young boy jump off a bridge into the river. She doesn't hesitate to go into the water to try to rescue him and give him mouth to mouth. She ends up in the hospital again and begins a sweet relationship with the boy's father. They are both shy and hesitant, and even though they never touch, it becomes such a powerful love story because they want each other so much yet they can't.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Me Before You, The Rosie Project, The Fault in Our Stars
FIC-STARRED JOH
When Mary was 9 years old, she was convicted viciously of murdering a 3 month old baby. She spent years in jail and is now living in a group home. At 16 years of age, she is scared and pregnant. But Mary has plans. She's smart and she wants to go to college. She's studying for her SATs and wants a future for her baby. But the other girls in the house are constantly fighting with her, she believes her boyfriend is cheating on her, and she has finally told the truth about what happened - her mother did it and she took the rap for it. She loves her mother, but she believes that she's been brainwashed by her.
Mystery, Urban Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Hate U Give, Dear Martin, After, American Street, We Are Okay, We Were Liars
If there's no Tomorrow by Jennifer Armentrout
FIC-REALISTIC ARM
Lena is the sole survivor of a drunk driving accident where four of her closest friends died. She seems to have it all. She's pretty and popular, and is secretly in love with the boy next door, Sebastian, who we find out has been secretly in love with her. But after the accident, Lena retreats within herself and Sebastian tries to take care of her. But she's harboring a secret - she knew that the boy driving was drunk and she should have taken the keys away from him and she's having a hard time dealing with the guilt of that. She quits the volleyball team and pushes her friends away. But then she realizes that tomorrow isn't promised and she has to make the most of her life.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Along for the Ride, If I Stay, Wintergirls, Goodbye Days, Bang, Tupac & Foster
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
FIC-ADULT HAW
Nel has committed suicide in 'the drowning pool.' a bend in the river of her town where many women have jumped. Her estranged sister, Jules, comes back to town to care for her niece, whom she does not know, but believes her sister was murdered. Nel was obsessed with the downing pool, writing a book about all the women who died there. Many in the town didn't want her to do this, so she had many enemies, and everyone is a suspect.
Suspense, Mystery
Read this if you liked: Girl on the Train, Pretty Girls, The Winter People, Luckiest Girl Alive, The Widow
Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch
FIC-ROMANCE WEL
After Lina's mother dies, she goes to Italy for the summer to get to know her father. She's never met him, and isn't happy with the idea of being there. Her mother leaves her the diary she wrote when she lived in Italy, and Lina spends the summer discovering her mother's younger self, and uncovering the secrets she kept from her. And of course because it's Italy, there's a bit of romance thrown in!
Romance
Read this if you liked: The Moon and More, Summer Days and Summer Nights, This is What Happy Looks Like
FIC-ROMANCE ASH
Sierra's parents own a Christmas tree farm, and every year they leave their home in Oregon and go to California where they sell their trees. This year, Sierra falls for Caleb, a boy with a checkered past. She gives him the chance he deserves, but her parents, friends, and people around him are less willing to do so. Even though she'll only be in California for a month, they fall in love and worry about what will happen when she leaves.
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Twelve Days of Lily and Dash, Our Chemical Hearts, Love and First Sight, When Dimple met Rishi
FIC-STARRED ZEN
Carver sends a text message to his best friend, and then he finds out the unthinkable happened - his friend answered his message while driving and got into an accident killing himself and two other friends. Now Carver is alone, guilty, and possibly up on murder charges. His guilt is all consuming. He's afraid he's going to jail, but he also feels like he deserves it. But when Eli's grandmother asks him to spend a last day remembering her grandson, he does it and it starts to relieve some of the guilt. He does it with the families of his other friends as well, and with each goodbye day, he gets stronger and more sure of himself. Very sad but uplifting.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Little and Lion, It's Not Me, It's You, The Upside Down of Unrequited, Thirteen Reasons Why
Say What You Will by Cammie McGovern
FIC-ROMANCE MCG
After being lonely and practically friendless for her whole life, Amy, who has cerebral palsy, wants to make friends and be a normal teenager her senior year. Matthew, a boy with OCD, is recruited to help her around school. They both speak their mind, are very honest with one another, and help each other with their disabilities. They start to have feeling for each other, but Matthew is too shy to say it, and Amy is afraid Matthew could never feel that way about her.
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Like No Other, Eleanor and Park, Fault in Our Stars, Stoner and Spaz
The Memory of Things by Gae Polisner
FIC-HISTORICAL POL
The day of 9/11 is a day that will never be forgotten, but in the case of the girl on the bridge, she can’t remember a thing. Kyle finds a girl around his age and saves her from the destruction 9/11 wrought. While his mother and sister are in California and his father is at Ground Zero, Kyle must take care of his paralyzed uncle while trying to help the girl discover her identity. As she uncovers more about herself, Kyle becomes more reluctant to let her go. With destruction surrounding them, Kyle must try to keep everything together. - Reviewed by Patricia Lalo
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud, City Love, Love is the Higher Law, All We Have Left
Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit by Jaye Robin Brown
FIC-REALISTIC BRO
Joanna, her father, and new wife move from Atlanta to a small, narrow-minded Georgia town. Because he thinks people will hate, Joanna's father asks her to stay in the closet and not let anyone know she's gay. She doesn't want to, but finally agrees. Joanna tries to fit in with this small town crowd and makes friends with a bunch of nice girls. She starts to have feelings for one of Mary Carlson, and miraculously, she returns the feelings. But when Mary wants to come out, Joanna refuses to and they break up. When her secret is revealed, Mary Carlson never wants to see her again, but Joanna finds that her new friends are a lot more tolerant than her father ever thought they would be.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Dumplin', True Letters from a Fictional Life, The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue, If I Was Your Girl
Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley
FIC-STARRED-ROMANCE CRO
The day that she moved away, Rachel proclaimed her love to Henry, her best friend, in a letter. But he never said anything about it, so she stops talking to him and cuts him out of her life. After her brother drowns in the ocean, she becomes very depressed, fails senior year, loses her friends, and gives up. Her mother decides moving back will be good for her, and when she reconnects with Henry, who is in love with Amy, Rachel decides she is over him and they can be friends again. But as they work together in Henry's bookstore, surrounded by words, books, old stories, and love letters, they begin to feel a pull toward each other.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Our Chemical Hearts, Hello, Goodbye, and Everything In Between, Eleanor and Park, Something In Between
FIC-REALISTIC LAC
After Marin's grandfather dies, she breaks down and runs off to college without saying goodbye to anyone, including her best friend, Mabel. He was everything to Marin, especially since her mother died when she was a little girl. But after months of ignoring all her texts and calls, Mabel shows up at her school and forces Marin to talk. She has been spiraling downward but finally starts to get it out. We learn the tragic story of her grandfather, her mother, and all the secrets that have been kept. Sad, but lovely.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Great American Whatever, I'll Give You the Sun, History is All You Left Me, If I Stay
Song of the Current by Sarah Tolcser
FIC-FANTASY TOL
Caro lives on the river with her father, carrying their goods and hoping that the river gods will speak to her. When her father is sent to prison, she agrees to take a mysterious crate from the marquis and deliver it to the capital. She is told not to open it, but she does, and inside is a boy her age who she will later discover is the new Emparch of the country. There has been an uprising in the capital, his parents are dead, and he is trying to get to his sister who escaped their enemies as well. There are many battles and close calls, they enlist the help of friends and family, and fall for each other while trying to save the empire.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Iron Queen, Blood Rose Rebellion, Flame in the Mist, Defy the Stars, This Savage Song, Now I Rise
Defy the Stars by Claudia Grey
FIC-SCI-FI GRE
Noemi is a solider on a suicide mission to save her planet when she comes upon an abandoned enemy ship. When she boards, she finds Abel, an advanced robot who appears human. He has been trapped for 30 years and wants to return to his maker, but when Noemi boards the vessel, he is programmed to obey only her. She enlists him in her plot to overthrow the earth, and they start their journey through the the planets. Over time, she realizes that Abel is developing a soul, is becoming something more than a machine. Abel is discovering feeling within himself he never thought possible, and realizes he wants to be free of his creator.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Lunar Chronicles, Illuminae, Empress of a Thousand Skies, The Six, Fever Crumb, Silver Eyes, Frost, Willful
The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Saenz
FIC-REALISTIC SAE
Sal is the adopted son of a gay man whose mother died when he was three. His best friend, Sam, is constantly fighting with her mother and likes bad boys. Fito's mother is a drug addict and is essentially raising himself. The three experience tragedies, but they always have each other to rely on. Sal's dad is the perfect father - he loves his son and his friends, gives wonderful advice, and supports them all in their time of need. It was a bit too sappy and over the top - no one's family is that loving and supportive all the time. But good lessons are learned and each of the characters realizes what's important in life.
Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Georgia Peaches and Other Forbidden Fruit, Whatever, Jellicoe Road, They Both Die at the End
Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia
FIC-REALISTIC KAN
Reshma is a high school over achiever who will stop at nothing to get what she wants - admission to Stanford. She does nothing but study. She has no friends and no social life. But she needs a hook for her college application essay, so she decides she will write a book based on herself, get an agent, and that will clinch it. She needs to 1) make friends 2) go to a party 3) get a boyfriend and 4) have sex, then she'll have what she needs for her book. But she also needs to be valedictorian and will stop at nothing, including suing her school, to make that happen.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: When Rishi Met Dimple, The Upside of Unrequited, Falling Over Sideways, Learning to Swear in America
Fire Color One by Jenny Valentine
FIC-REALISTIC VAL
Iris loves to set fires. Her mother, who is now broke, brings her to London to meet her rich father, and hopefully get some money out of him. Her mother wants his priceless art collection, but Iris wants nothing to do with it. Iris doesn't want to meet the man who abandoned her, but finds a man who is dying and who had been looking for her for her entire life. She learns his secrets and soon realizes her father is far different than the man her mother taught her to hate.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: What Girls are Made of, The Last Time We Say Goodbye, When We Collided, Gabi, A Girl in Pieces
The Radius of Us by Marie Marquardt
FIC-REALISTIC MAR
After Gretchen was attacked, she lived her life in fear enduring constant panic attacks. One day she sees someone whom she thinks is her attacker, and goes to find him. When she does, they form a friendship which helps her get over her fears. Phoenix is in the United States seeking asylum. He and his brother are running from gang violence in El Salvador and he fears for his life. He is afraid to tell Gretchen about his past and his life, worried that she'll reject him. They are starting to have feelings for one another, but Phoenix may be deported soon, and their time is running out. Told in alternating voices.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Like No Other, Something In Between, The Sun is Also a Star, The Lines We Cross
FIC-SCI-FI LU
Emika Chen is a bounty hunter and Warcross player. She's a computer wiz and hacks into the opening ceremonies of the Warcross championships and inadvertently becomes one of its key players. Someone is trying to sabotage the game, and Hideo Tanaka, the young billionaire creator of Warcross, hires Emika to try to track him down. She has to spy while in the game in order to try to find out who Zero is and what he's up to. When the plot is uncovered, Emika finds out that Zero has been trying to stop Hideo's plans to control the game and to control people's emotions.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Ready Player One, Arena, Eye Of Minds, Defy the Stars, Empress of A Thousands Skies
FIC-REALISTIC ROE
Julian has lost both his parents and was taken into foster care by Catherine and her son Adam. 5 years later, he's living with his Uncle Russell, but has found Adam at his new High School. They start to spend time together, but Adam starts to get a feeling that things aren't right with Julian at home. And they aren't. Julian is scared, quiet, has learning issues, and acts very much like a little kid. He tries to please everyone, including his Uncle, but he never does anything right, at least that what he convinces himself of. This was a heartbreaking story.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life, Orbiting Jupiter, Bruiser, Rules of Survival
FIC-REALISTIC RED
Jordan attends a prestigious Performing Arts boarding school but has had a hard time landing parts and fitting in. She attends on a scholarship, but her parents are telling her she may have to leave school because it's just too hard to make ends meet. Jordan needs to do something drastic, so she poses as a boy and auditions for a spot in an all-boy a cappella group. She gets in and finally feels like she fits in somewhere, but she feels guilty and feels like she's going to get caught any minute. Throughout all of this, she struggles with her sexuality and tries to figure out if she really is a straight girl or if she may be bi. Throw a competition in the mix, a rivalry with another group, and she has her hands full, but she's enjoying every minute of it.
Romance, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Will Grayson, Will Grayson, This Song Will Save Your Life, Eleanor & Park, Fat Kid Rules the World, Wise Young Fool
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
FIC-ADULT NG
Mia and her daughter Pearl have always been free spirits, never staying in one place for very long. The Richardsons are the exact opposite. The perfect family, living in a big house, with everything they could want in life. When Mia and Pearl land in Shaker Heights, Pearl befriends the Richardsons and finally feels like she is a part of something. But there is a custody hearing that tears the town apart, one of the kids gets an abortion, and the truth about Mia and Pearl comes out, all of which creates confrontation and tragedy for all involved.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Everything I Never Told You, Bellweather Rhapsody, The Memory Keeper's Daughter
FIC-SCI-FI REI
Every two years, on her birthday, Min is killed but comes back to life. The man in the black suit has been terrorizing her since she was 8 years old, and she doesn't understand why. The same thing has been happening to Noah, and when they discover the same thing has been happening to the two of them, they set out to find out the truth. They discover their Principal, their parents, and their therapists have known about it and have given permission for it, and there is a government conspiracy covering it all up.
Science Fiction, Suspense
Read this if you liked: The Forgetting, Learning to Swear in America, The Program, Maze Runner, Starters
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
FIC-SCI-FI ROT
Cyra is the sister of a tyrannical ruler and has to power to inflict pain. He forces her to use her as a weapon against his enemies, but she doesn't want to do it. Akos has the power to relieve a person of his gift. He and his brother are being held captive by Cyra's brother, and he is being forced to serve Cyra. Cyra hates her brother and what he stands for, and joins the rebellion to help overthrow him. Although she and Akos are sworn enemies, they begin to care for each other and work together to do the right thing.
Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: The Diabolic, The Graceling, Red Queen, Ember in the Ashes, Iron Daughter, Now I Rise
Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls by Lynn Weingarten
FIC-MYSTERY WEI
When June's best friend, Delia commits suicide, June cannot seem to believe it. There's a mystery that she tries to unravel - Delia sent her a message the day she died, but who is that yelling in the background? She is sure she was murdered and sets out to find out the truth. But she finds out more than she wants to know, and then discovers the biggest shocker of them all.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Thirteen Reasons Why, Dead to Me, Looking for Alaska, My Heart and Other Black Holes
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
FIC-REALISTIC SIL
Griffin's first boyfriend and love of his life Theo dies in a drowning accident while he's away at college. Griffin is heartbroken and begins to spend time with Jackson, Theo's new boyfriend. Told in a series of flashbacks, Griffin recounts their love story and what their history means to him. He begins to realize he has to let Theo go in order to get on with his life, and although he hated Jackson for taking Theo away from him, he can now be friends with him and form a bond for Theo's sake.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: We Are Ok, I'll Give You the Sun, Kids of Appetite, The Inexplicable Logic of My Life
The Problem with Forever by Jennifer Arementrout
FIC-REALISTIC ARM
Touching book about childhood friends who were abused in foster care reuniting when they are in high school. Mallory has been adopted by a stable, loving couple, but has many emotional issues left over from her foster home. Rider seems ok, is in a good home, but doesn't really see a bright future for himself. Rider always made it his mission to protect Mallory, and he continues to do so now that they've reconnected. But there are so many forces working against them - Rider's ex-girlfriend, his 'brother' who is mixed up with the wrong people, and most of all Mallory's parents who don't think he's good enough for her and will hurt her in the end.
Romance
Read this if you liked: P.S. I Still Love You, The Sun is Also a Star, Tell Me Three Things, The Geography of Me and You
Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
FIC-ADULT PIC
Ruth is a labor and delivery nurse who has been told she is not allowed to touch the newborn baby of a white supremacist couple. But when Ruth is alone in the nursery with the baby, and the baby stops breathing, she doesn't hesitate to try to save him. When the baby dies, the family accuses her of murder and she is thrown into jail and has to face trial. The story is more about how whites and blacks react to race issues and how whites, even though they don't see themselves as racist, truly may be. It's an interesting perspective on the issue.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Help, Leave Me, Between the World and Me, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Black Like Me
Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum
FIC-STARRED BUX
Jessie's mother has died and her father has remarried, and he's moved her half way across the country to live with his new wife and stepson in what might as well be the moon. She's miserable until someone, who shall remain anonymous, writes her an email to try to help her navigate her new world. Jessie starts to fall for him, and tries to guess who it is, but is at a loss. There's a mean girl who hates her for no reason, a couple of cute guys who might be her anonymous friend, the best friend she left behind, and a couple of new friendships.
Romance
Read this if you liked: All the Bright Places, One of Those Hideous Books Where The Mother Dies, This is the Part Where You Laugh
FIC-REALISTIC MAT
Ethan was kidnapped when he was 12, and now 4 years later, he's been found and returned home. With him was 11 year old autistic Dylan, whose sister Caroline is just trying to help get him back on track. She befriends Ethan in the hopes he can lend some clarity to the situation, but when he is unable to help, she finds she really likes being with him. The two form a very odd friendship, but it works for them. But when Ethan's memories come flooding back and he remembers what Caroline wants to know, he realizes this may cost him their friendship.
Realistic Fiction, Mystery
Read this if you liked: The Leaving, Still Life with Tornado, Girl Stolen, Stolen, Don't You Cry
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
FIC-ADULT HAW
On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the passengers disappear into the ocean. The only survivors are Scott Burroughs--the painter--and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of a wealthy and powerful media mogul's family. - Good Reads
Mystery, Thriller
Read this if you liked: All the Missing Girls, Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train, The Circle
Asking For It by Louise O'Neill
FIC-STARRED ONE
Emma is the most beautiful girl in the school. All the girls want to be her, and all the boys want to date her. She knows it and wears it like a badge. One night, Emma and her friends go to a party and drink, flirt, and do drugs. She has her eye on an older boy and gets him into a bedroom and has sex with him. She does sort of change her mind, but lets him go ahead with it anyway. But then the drugs kick in and she's out of control and then passes out, and doesn't know what happened until the next day when pictures of her having sex with three boys are plastered all over Facebook. The comments are awful - she was asking for it, she deserved it, she was a bad person. When she decides to go to the police, she is vilified, and the boys are held up as the victims. It is tearing her family apart, she's losing her friends, and she just wants it to all go away. The ending is sad in that unfortunately, most rape victims go through what she is going through and decide to just give up just to make it all stop.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Speak, Exit Pursued by A Bear, Scars, The Way I Used to Be
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
FIC-STARRED-REALISTIC THO
Starr is an African American girl living in a poor, black neighborhood, going to an upscale mostly white school. She feels like she's two people and can never really be herself with her neighborhood friends or her school friends. Star is in the car with her friend when they are pulled over by the police, and although they are doing nothing wrong, things escalate, and her friend is shot. The story is now getting national attention, they're calling Khalil a drug dealer and a gangster, but Starr knows the real boy - the one she grew up with and called her friend. She wants to do the right thing, but when the cop is acquitted of all charges, riots break out Starr joins in the fight. This was a very powerful book and I had to take it in small doses because it was full of totally justified anger because of all the injustices felt in the black community.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: All American Boys, After Tupac and D Foster, Monster, How it Went Down
Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis
FIC-REALISTIC MCG
Told from three different perspectives - Alex, a loaner whose sister died and has no problem inflicting harm on those who are evil; Peekay, the Preacher's Kid, who is trying to make sure she not a stereotype who becomes friends with Alex; and Jack, who falls for Alex. The three become unlikely friends and Alex starts to wonder if she can be just like everyone else now that she has some friends. Her dark side comes out and she confesses to Jack who does not know how to handle it. When confronted once again with evil, everyone's lives change forever.
Realistic Fiction, Suspense
Read this if you liked: City of Saints and Thieves, I Hunt Killers, Panic, A Smaller Evil
FIC-SCI-FI JEN
Kali is a pro Virtual Reality Gamer and she's the first female team captain, poised to win the national championship. But her boyfriend/teammate dies of an overdose and the team is in jeopardy. Her team owner wants to dismiss the fact that he ever existed, and Kali tries to bring the truth to light. Meanwhile, she's falling for his replacement while going through video game addiction withdrawals. All this while training for the championship.
Science Fiction, Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Feed, Guy in Real Life, The Six, The Eye of Minds, Ready Player One, Steelheart
FIC-FANTASY GAR
Scarlett has always dreamed of going to Caraval, a magical festival where a riddle must be solved and the prize is a wish. Scarlett wants more than anything to leave her abusive father and keep her sister and herself safe. Caraval is more than magic, and she's told that everything that happens is a performance, and you can't believe what you see, but it's hard to know what's real and what's not. With the help of Julian, Scarlett navigates the game, and she thinks she's falling for him. But is that real? The stakes are high, because her sister has been taken, and Scarlett has to find her and wins the game before her father finds her.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Blood Rose Rebellion, The Forgetting, Star Touched Queen, Rebel of the Sands
FIC-ADULT EGG
Mae gets her dream job at the Circle, a Google-like company that seems too good to be real. Daily parties, health care for her sick father, famous musicians playing every day, free food, clothes, dorms, just about anything. She quickly rises in the company, and quickly buys into the idea that the world should be transparent - cameras everywhere, no privacy, everyone knowing everything about everyone else. But there are many who feel that this is a little too much. Her parents refuse to talk to her if she has a camera on her, her ex boyfriends decides to go off the grid to get away from technology, and her best friend has a melt down. What's too much? Where should we draw the line? It's a thought provoking look at society and social media.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Before the Fall, Feed, Brave New World, 1984, Station Eleven
![All We Have Left by [Mills, Wendy]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/mrjcFo5VXTH1xkwnh7Px22DlYXv90fDcf6SwpxpFuyDKI-5liR5Ujh-4mEtsSkXcrLyeph42TOOZoy6CaiWrUSavC1VrChOEsO7Lz7cJvK8C-CuF=w1280)
All We Have Left by Wendy Mills
FIC-HISTORICAL MIL
This novel takes place in two different time periods and is from two different perspectives. Jess takes place in 2017 and she is still dealing with her brother's death in the twin towers on 9/11. No one knows why he was in the towers, all they know is that he was, permanently scarring the family. She finds herself in the wrong crowd, causing her to get in trouble for a hate crime. Alia, takes place on 9/11. She is a Muslim who is proud of it. On 9/11, she finds herself in the twin towers to talk to her father after being grounded for a stupid mistake. However, when the towers fall, she meets a boy and together they try to navigate their way through the towers and survive. The book flips back and forth from present to past, giving insight as to what it was actually like in the towers that day. ~ Reviewed by Sarah Basenese
Genre: Historical Fiction, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Memory of Things, Towers Falling, The Sun is Also a Star
![Violent Ends by [Hutchinson, Shaun David, Shusterman, Neal, Shusterman, Brendan, Revis, Beth, Smith, Cynthia Leitich, Summers, Courtney, Blake, Kendare, Dawson, Delilah S., Brezenoff, Steve, Leveen, Tom, Moskowitz, Hannah, Woolston, Blythe, Doller, Trish, Scott, Mindi, Gelbwasser, Margie, Johnson, Christine, Kokie, E. M., Nader, Elisa]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/RF302t1x951sOYfPgcgSB73FqmQnkp41Jziosw-nLq8ShsFVR2Ne55w4fpmEfir-w7hc_iFq2LV7S5kfiArOleEN-01Yza7NbSB1ECUE-nzvl9Ay=w1280)
Violent Ends by Shaun Hutchinson
FIC-STARRED HUT
Violent Ends is written by seventeen different authors, in seventeen different perspectives. The story centers around a school shooting lead by Kirby Matheson. However, instead of the entire story taking place during the shooting, it takes place before, during, and after. The characters could know Kirby, or they could be total strangers. Every character helped piece together who Kirby was and why he might have did what he had, however, will we ever know the exact reason? ~ Reviewed by Sarah Basenese
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: This is Where it Ends, Nineteen Minutes, Thirteen Reasons Why
![World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by [Brooks, Max]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/i-AZWL7yXv_c43arwvXQeAub5xZm40yzYCGgwSIxS1PMGPpJ6X-Xi32G9vQs_-wwNSyO_CRbNsbcUA-UkNO5xzP7I0FCe-ZWOdwRLWCuv2FjFi8n=w1280)
FIC-STARRED BRO
It’s been ten years since the conclusion of the Zombie War. The disease originated in China and quickly spread through other countries. The sudden uproar from the undead caused great chaos and wildly inaccurate media coverage. As the war against the undead continued, many battles were fought. Some fights were between humans and the undead, but the majority were between the living. After the world adapted to its new way of life, people began to figure out how to beat the undead. ~ Reviewed by Brooke Stellman
Science Fiction, Horror
Read this if you liked: The Road, Station Eleven, Zone One, Rot and Ruin, Day by Day Armageddon
![Seven Black Diamonds by [Marr, Melissa]](https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/deBKGWp5LP6ENCynOWdqw4G_DI7foIGYAz6PvD2HqsJgJFcbhkH1COJ5iFGhy3WXV3tHTSjP0w8DzP6kegAdhOrwloEEYFePWkSTb7md_ZhCvcWC=w1280)
Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr
FIC-FANTASY MAR
Set in the not so distant future, earth has been changed due to pollution and the realm of Faery and Earth are at war. Many years ago the Queen of Blood and Rage lost her daughter to the human’s pollution of earth and since that time Faery has waged war on the members of the human race. In the human world, having faery blood is grounds for imprisonment and death. It is in this world that the Queen has placed sleeper agents that carry out her war against human-kind. Lilywhite knows that she is different, as the daughter of a notorious mobster, she has been protected her whole life, but trained for something more. When Lilywhite is sent to a private school by her father, human and faery worlds collide when she meets a group of sleeper agents, individuals who have gifts like hers. Lilywhite realizes she is more than what she appears and has a very important role to play in the war. ~ reviewed by Mrs. Kaine
Genre: Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Throne of Glass, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Wicked Lovely, Shadow and Bone, The Young Elites, An Ember in the Ashes
FIC-FANTASY MEY
Cath is a girl living in Hearts when she catches the eye of the king. All she wants is love and romance, but her parents keep pushing her to marry the king, who is old and foolish. When she meets Jest, she falls in love, even though she knows their match would never be approved. All she wants is to be happy with him, but then finds out why Jest came to Hearts in the first place, and suddenly her world is upside down. A prequel to Alice in Wonderland, we meet all the characters we know - Cheshire Cat, The Mad Hatter, The White Rabbit, and of course, the Queen of Hearts herself, and we find out what has made her the wicked Queen that she is.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Cinder, Court of Mist and Fury, This Savage Song, Red Queen, Graceling
![We Are the Ants by [Hutchinson, Shaun David]](https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/jRP8o4EAt7pmxLd39l-lA_vV5iwA5bbfKmKbLkpYeGo2tfxF-LPK_ryFsRz9CWNBv1-_RrClmNj4QCLVXjQ5L98SlikGaY6WU2XGjRiQUw3ybkn5=w1280)
We are the Ants by Sean Hutchinson
FIC-REALISTIC HUT
Henry Denton has it hard. His boyfriend commits suicide, his mom struggles to keep the family together, his brother drops out of college, and his grandmother has Alzheimer's. However, Henry has it the worst of them all. Henry gets abducted by aliens and he has 144 days to decide the fate of the Earth. The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that. ~ reviewed by Brooke Stellman
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Violent Ends, I’ll Give you the Sun, Symptoms of Being Human, Highly Illogical Behavior
![A Thousand Splendid Suns by [Hosseini, Khaled]](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/LyCz3U5-UIcrIlpcREbGSoCRXxCdfh0-vIpMhgSOQVsCBdIRE4T4Z8vkYfLCKsFHPf25Qct-G0m-UQyKE4guBYGMP0cLXy62KZzPHXl6RC-iyI0q=w1280)
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
FIC-ADULT HOS
This book is told in two points of views by two different women. Both women were raised very differently. Tragic events in their young lives lead them in the same direction. Both heartbreak and tragedy bring these women together. Over time they learn how to work together and readers’ hearts will break as they read the character’s struggle with their personal lives and the harsh social climates of Afghanistan. ~ reviewed by Melissa Sieppel
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Book Thief, And the Mountains Echoed, The Kite Runner, My Forbidden Face
![Water for Elephants: A Novel by [Gruen, Sara]](https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/tfVTIqn16DIowKxL8AmM4DXeo-7JbwlsT1eWi341MW_OozsmuiuxIjkM6lQWb-EMYQymnoOact0Mw21lRU7p-lBXqGFcd9k_7S3ks4ELWk8s-Er5=w1280)
Water for Elephants by Sara Greun
FIC-ADULT GRE
This book is about a young man named Jacob living during the Great Depression. He attends Cornell and is almost ready to graduate when an accident happens. He has nothing left and is willing to do anything to make money. He is walking on the train tracks when he jumps on a train. Little did he know, the train was carrying a circus. In this coming of age novel, readers will see the experiences that cause Jacob to mature and the adventure he goes on with the circus. ~reviewed by Melissa Sippel
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Secret Life of Bees, The Help, The Time Traveler's Wife, Read, Write, Connect
RBK FIC GAI
Gaiman delves into the stories of immigrants, Gods, and slaves. We follow life, death, mystery, romance, and so much more. This book contains more than can be originally seen. Any book written by Neil Gaiman deserves to be read, but this one most of all. This story is about the American Way. A story to capture a love of a people, to include people of all races, religions, and sexualities. ~reviewed by Z. Morris
Fantasy, Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Anansi Boys, Gardens of the Moon, Good Omens, The Magicians, Neverwhere, The Name of the Wind
Still Life with Tornado by A. S. King
FIC-REALISTIC KIN
Sarah, 16, has had a breakdown after a series of events she won’t immediately reveal: the reason why she is reluctant to go back to school, and perhaps most importantly, things that are happening at home, especially since the trip to Mexico six years ago. Sarah quits school, wanders the streets of Philadelphia, and meets with her fractured selves; 10-year-old Sarah, who has not yet forgotten what happened in Mexico, 23-year-old Sarah and 40-year-old Sarah. It was a bit confusing to meet all these Sarahs. I assumed the end of the book would reveal Sarah was having a breakdown and the Sarahs were a figment of her imagination. But that wasn't the case. They are both metaphor and magic realism and help Sarah through the darkest time of her life. Emotionally intense and complex.
Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Every Day, The Weight of Feathers, Infandous, Bone Gap, I Crawl Through It, If I Stay
The Diabolic, #1 by S. J. Kincaid
FIC-SCI-FI KIN
Nemesis is a diabolic, bred to protect the human she is bonded to, Sidonia. But when Sidonia is summoned to the capital as a hostage, Nemesis goes in her place and impersonates her. There, she learns quickly about palace and politics, assassinations, and how even families will kill and manipulate to gain power. She meets Tyrus, the heir to the throne, who wants progress for his people. They form an alliance, and even though she's a Diabolic and not supposed to have feelings, she starts to care for him. There is a massacre, and Nemesis begins to doubt his allegiance to her.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Scythe, The Forgetting, Carve the Mark, Red Rising, Throne of Glass
The Smell of Other People's Houses by Bonnie Sue Hitchcock
FIC-ADULT HIT
The book is told from the perspective of four Alaskan teens in the 70's, each with their own problems. They are all trying to find solace in their lives and figure out what to do to make it better. Ruth's father died and mother is out of the picture, being raised by an unloving grandmother; Alyce has a shot at being a dancer, but feels held back by her father; Hank and his brothers run away and then Sam goes missing; Dora's father is in jail and her mother is a drunk, and she never wants to see them again. They are all a part of each other's lives and support systems.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Burn Baby Burn, Peas and Carrots, Bitter Side of Sweet, The Serpent King
FIC-HISTORICAL BRO
Told in verse, this is a moving first-person narrative as experienced by a young survivor of the tragic Donner Party of 1846. The journey west by wagon train promises to be long and arduous for nineteen-year-old Mary Ann Graves and her parents and eight siblings. Yet she is hopeful about their new life in California: freedom from the demands of family, maybe some romance, better opportunities for all. But when winter comes early to the Sierra Nevada and their group gets a late start, the Graves family, traveling alongside the Donner and Reed parties, must endure one of the most harrowing and storied journeys in American history.
Novels in Verse, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Out of the Dust, The Watch That Ends the Night, Salt to the Sea, Audacity, Paper Hearts
Scythe, Arc of Sycthe, #1 by Neal Shusterman
FIC-DYSTOPIAN SHU
In the future, there is no more war, no more disease, no hunger, and no death. And because there is no death, Scythes are tasked with gleaning the population. There are some Scythes who do it with compassion, giving their victims time to adjust to the situation. They are referred to as 'the old guard'. Others are like killing machines, and take out entire office buildings and do it with "flair." Citra and Rowan are the newest Scythe apprentices, and although they start off apprenticing for Scythe Faraday, one of the Old Guard, they are soon split up and Citra works with Scythe Curie and Rowan works with Scythe Goddard, who is the most flamboyant of the Scythes. They have been pitted against one another and the winner will have to glean the loser.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Unwind Series, The Diabolic, Carve the Mark, Noggin
Novice, Summoner Series, #1 by Taran Mathaeu
FIC-FANTASY MAT
Fletcher is an apprentice blacksmith who discovers he has the ability to summon a demon from another world. He travels to the Adept Military Academy to hone his skills as a summoner and fighter and train to be a part of the king's army. While at the Academy, he befriends an elf and an dwarf and makes enemies with the rich noble children. The fate of the empire is in his hands, and Fletcher must fight against his friends and enemies to prove that he is the best and to win a commission in the army.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Red Queen, Throne of Glass, Court of Mist and Fury, Young Elites, Red Rising
Girl in Pieces by Kathleen Glasgow
FIC-REALISTIC GLA
When we meet Charlie, she's in a hospital, recovering from the cutting she's inflicted upon herself. She's been through too much - living on the streets, in a sex house, beatings by her mother, her father dying, losing her best friend, but most of all, hating herself. Cutting is the only way she knows how to make the pain go away. When she has to leave the safety of the hospital, there is no one for her but a friend who helps her move to Tucson. She tries to rebuild her life, but she's right back in the world of drugs, denial, and loneliness. A good book about a girl who desperately wants to get better, but at 18, just doesn't know how to do it on her own.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Cut, Scars, Wintergirls, Go Ask Alice, All the Bright Places, Ellen Hopkins books
We Are Still Tornadoes by Michael Kun
FIC-ROMANCE KUN
Scott and Cath have been friends forever, but when she goes off to college, and he stays behind, they write letters to each other to keep in touch. They both experience tragedies, fall in and out of love with different people, fight, help each other, and do everything that best friends do. It's set in the 80's, and they reference a lot of the music of the time, so for those of us who lived through that time, it was fun to reminisce.
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Perks of Being a Wallflower, TTYL, Because You'll Never Meet Me, Serpent King
Ask Me How I Got Here by Christine Hepperman
FIC-VERSE HEP
Addie and her boyfriend are careless one night and she ends up pregnant. Addie makes the difficult choice to have an abortion. And after that—even though she knows it was the right decision for her—nothing is the same anymore. She doesn’t want anyone besides her parents and her boyfriend to know what happened; she doesn’t want to run cross-country; she can’t bring herself to be excited about anything. Until she reconnects with Juliana, a former teammate who’s going through her own dark places.
Novels in Verse
Read this if you liked: True Letters from a Fictional Life, Look Both Ways, Skyscraping
This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab
FIC-FANTASY SCH
Kate's father control the monsters on his side of the city. August is a monster on the other side of the city. Both sides are bound by a truce that is ready to topple, and August has been sent to spy on Kate and infiltrate their side. But then Kate is kidnapped and it's pinned on August and together they run and try to figure out what is going on. Even when they realize they're on opposite sides, they remain friends and try to help one another survive. And in the end, their friendship is enough to save both of them.
Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, City of Ashes, The Girl at Midnight, Shiver, Wicked Lovely
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
FIC-ROMANCE YOO
Daniel is a Korean American boy who has an interview with Yale today. Natasha is a Jamaican at her lawyer's trying not to get deported today. It's fate that they meet, but Natasha doesn't believe in fate, and doesn't believe in love, until she does. Daniel wins her heart, but when she can't get her deportation overturned, she's on a plane and she knows that it's going to be the end of them. They've only had one day, but it seems like they've known each other forever. Spoiler alert: It would have be absolutely great if it stopped it there, because in real life, you don't always have a happy ending. But in the epilogue, fate steps in.
Romance
Read this if you liked: Eleanor and Park, Holding up the Universe, Everything,Everything, Something In Between
Holding Up the Universe by Jennifer Niven
FIC-ROMANCE NIV
Jack and Libby meet under terrible circumstances. She's new to school after being home-schooled because she was too overweight to leave her house. She's now lost over 100 pounds and is ready to face the world. She's still overweight, and Jack, popular and full of swagger, plays a cruel joke on her. Now they're both in after school counseling. Although Libby should hate him, she feels drawn to him, especially after he tells her his huge secret - he has a condition which doesn't allow him to recognize faces, so everyone is a stranger to him. She tries to help him and they get closer, until he pushes her away.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: A Step Toward Falling, The Sun is Also a Star, All the Bright Places
FIC-FANTASY CHE
Sefia is alone in the world after both her parents were killed and her aunt Nin has been kidnapped. She sets out to find her, but the only clue she has is the strange rectangular object her father left for her. She comes to realize that it's a book, and once she teaches herself how to read it, she realizes that it contains magic, and that she has the ability to 'read' people and see their histories. She rescues Archer, a boy who has been enslaved to fight, and with him, they travel in search of Nin.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Inkheart, Labyrinth Lost, The Forgetting, Rebel of the Sands, The Wrath and the Dawn
A Tragic Kind of Wonderful by Eric Lindstrom
FIC-REALISTIC LIN
Mel has bipolar disorder and she doesn't want any of her friends to know. She's moved recently, and she also doesn't want anyone to know that her brother died. She's had a falling out with her friends, and she also has a lot of secrets around that as well. With all the secrets she's keeping, it's no wonder she has a total meltdown, and when all the truths come out, all her friends support her, though she still has trouble with that. She has trouble trusting, but she realizes her friends are there to help.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: When We Collided, Every Last Word, Holding Up the Universe, A List of Cages, All the Bright Places
Julia Vanishes by Catherine Egan
FIC-FANTASY EGA
Julia is a thief and a spy, sent to work in Mrs. Och's house to find out what she is hiding. Their world is a world of magic and witch drownings, and Julia has the power to vanish into the background. When she finds out baby Theo is the key to reuniting the world of the immortals and she is forced to kidnap him, she begins to get a conscience about what she's doing. She decides to do the right thing and rescue him, putting herself and her friends in grave danger.
Fantasy, Steampunk
Read this if you liked: Labyrinth Lost, The Forgetting, Grave Mercy, The Young Elites, Akita Witch
FIC-REALISTIC AND
Three young musicians have escaped from summer band camp, and follow a quest to avoid the law long enough to play the amazing show they hope (but also doubt) they have in them. It's The Haters of Summer Hate Tour, and for a few hours, they made magical music.
Humor, Adventure
Read this if you liked: The Great American Whatever, Highly Illogical Behavior
FIC-STARRED MOO
Thom is different, and his dad doesn't like different. He discovers he has the power to heal and he's asked to join the League of Superheros, whom his dad hates. So he keeps that secret a secret. He's also gay, and his dad really doesn't like gays, so there's another secret. Then his long lost mom returns, but he can't tell his dad. More secrets. He and his friends have to save the world, and Thom makes some of the hardest choices of his life.
Adventure, LGBTQ, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Zeros, Steelheart, Black Widow, The Twelve Fingered Boy
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
FIC-ADU WHI
Cora is a slave and runs away from a cruel master with Caesar, who knows about the Underground Railroad. They make their escape but are being hunted by a tenacious bounty hunter who wants to find them at any cost. The Underground Railroad isn't the network of homes as we know it, but an actual railroad, dug under the earth, with stationmasters and engineers. At each stop, these men help Cora and Caesar adjust to free life, but they are constantly on the run. Even when freedom seems close, it seems that hatred and death are always there for black people in America.
Historical Fiction, Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Beloved, The Color Purple, The Last Runaway, Henry's Freedom Box
FIC-DYSTOPIAN AHE
In Celestine’s society, perfection is required; those found Flawed in some way are ostracized from society. Celestine has never had any problems with the way things are run. She is a rule follower and dating the son of the most powerful judge in the city. But a moment of compassion has dire consequences, and Celestine soon finds herself on trial before the whole city, accused of Flaws that will change her life forever. -booklist
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Uglies, Delirium, Pandemonium, The Giver, Unwind, Darkest Minds
Shadowshaper by Daniel Jose Older
FIC-SUPERNATURAL OLD
Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "No importa" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on. - goodreads
Supernatural
Read this if you liked: The Immortal Rules, The Boy in the Black Suit, Akata Witch, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp
FIC-REALISTIC NIJ
Told in multiple perspectives, the story is told in the span of 54 minutes during a school shooting. Ty is an angry teenager and he locks the majority of the students of his high school in the auditorium and randomly starts shooting. His sister is there, her girlfriend, kids he hates, kids he doesn't even know. Autumn is afraid she is going to be next, but she does what she can to diffuse the situation. There are a few kids outside the auditorium, and they do what they can to help rescue their friends.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Violent Ends, Hate List, Nineteen Minutes, Finding Jake, This is Not a Drill, We Need to Talk About Kevin
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by Jack Thorne
FIC-FANTASY THO
Harry's second son, Albus, feels like he has a lot to live up to, and knows he falls short. Harry isn't the perfect father, and he knows that too. They don't have the best relationship and that weighs on both of them. Meanwhile, Albus, using a time-turner, goes back in time to try to save Cedric Diggory, but instead messes things up completely. He goes back again to try to fix things, but the world gets even more bleak. Many of the original characters were there, or at least mentioned. It is written as a play, so it doesn't have the feel of the Harry Potter books, but is a must-read.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Harry Potter anything, The Magicians, Carry On, Thirteenth Child
The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
FIC-FANTASTY MEA
The Countess Elizabeth is being sold into marriage to the highest bidder, and she just can't accept it. She runs off, impersonating a maid, to The Glittering Court, where common girls are schooled in the fine arts in order to impress a wealthy husband, then sold to the highest bidder. She manages to hide her secret from her friends while excelling in her studies. She gets mixed up with illegal pagan religious heretics, helps her friends with their secrets, and tries to follow her heart.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: The Selection Series, Uprooted, The Kiss of Deception, Incarceron, Book of a Thousand Days
FIC-HISTORICAL WHI
Lada is the daughter of Vlad Dracul, King of Transylvania. She is everything a daughter should not be - fierce, independent, and smart. She wants to be recognized, and not treated as a girl. She learns to ride and fight, and tries desperately to have her father notice her. When her father leaves her and her gentle brother, Radu, at the Ottoman courts as hostages, she tries to survive any way she can. They befriend the son of the Sultan, Memhed, and their lives become better. But the court and politics and scheming are ever present, and Lada and Radu do what they can to shield Memhed from assassination, while each of them fall in love.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Ember in the Ashes, Court of Mist and Fury, The Winner's Curse, The Rose Society, Legacy of Kings
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge
FIC-MYSTERY HAR
In the late 1800's, Faith's family moves to a remote island after a scandal has forced them from their home. She adores her father, who keeps her at arm's length, but when he dies, she knows he has been murdered for a scientific discovery. Faith, who wants to be a scientist, but knows it's not 'proper,' finds his diaries and learns about The Lie Tree, which is supposed to bring the owner absolute knowledge. By feeding the tree lies, and spreading those lies, Faith tries to find the truth to her father's death. But she finds that lies are hurtful, and lies cause people pain, and they can get people hurt.
Fantasy, Mystery, Historical
Read this if you liked: The Girl in the Blue Coat, The Emperor of Any Place, A Great and Terrible Beauty
Me Being Me is Exactly as Insane as You Being You by Todd Hasak-Lowy
FIC-VERSE HAS
Told completely in lists, the book follows Darren, a high school sophomore who doesn't have friends, who's a bit overweight, and is hopelessly in love with Zoe. His parents are divorced and then his dad drops a bomb on him - he's gay. Darren has a lot of trouble dealing with all of this. He wants to be a good son and be supportive, but he just can't take it anymore. And like a real teenager, he acts out, says things he shouldn't say, and hurts his parent's feelings. But through it all, he's can't forget Zoey and what he means to him, even though she has mysteriously disappeared.
Novel in Verse, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Six Impossible Things, Along for the Ride, TTFN, The Beginning of Everything
The Leaving by Tara Altebrando
FIC-MYSTERY ALT
Eleven years ago, six kindergartners went missing without a trace. But today, five of those kids return. They're sixteen, and they are fine, except they're entirely unable to recall where they've been or what happened to them. They don't remember the sixth victim, Max who doesn't come back. Everyone wants answers. Most of all Max's sister Avery, who needs to find her brother--dead or alive--and isn't buying this whole memory-loss story. -goodread
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Don't Look Back, Afterward, Conjured, Girl in the Blue Coat, Slated
We All Looked Up by Tommy Wallach
FIC-SCI FI WAL
A meteor is on a collision course with the earth and scientists don't know if it will actually hit. They have 2 months until the possible hit. Told in multiple perspectives, a bunch of teens try to deal with the impending doom. Will everyone come together and hug or will there be fires and looting?
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Life as You Knew It, The Age of Miracles, Across the Universe, Expiration Day, Unwind, We are the Ants
FIC-REALISTIC LIN
Adrian is a gay teenage boy who witnesses a gay hate crime. He becomes totally paranoid at school that the football bullies are going to go after him. The bully's father is a policeman in a small Texas town, so he goes free. Adrian has two close friends who try to help and prop him up. The cool part about this book is that JT is an illustrator, and drawings of his online graphic novel are throughout the book.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Whatever, True Letters from a Fictional Life, The Great American Whatever, Look Both Ways
Character, Driven by David Lubar
FIC-REALISTIC LUB
Cliff is a senior in high school who wants nothing more than to win the heart of the girl he loves, who doesn't know he exists. His unemployed father thinks he's a waste and threatens to throw him out the minute he turns 18. He hopes to go to college and is working two jobs just to try to contribute to the family. When he finally gets the nerve to talk to Jillian, he finds they actually have a lot in common and they like each other. He's a good kid; stands up for what he believes in and supports his friends. This was a very good book, a true coming of age told in an honest voice.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Trouble in Me, This is the Part Where you Laugh, The Porcupine of Truth, Saint Anything
FIC-ROMANCE LAK
Cassie is writing an email to the boy she likes explaining why she has acted badly. She is begging his forgiveness and confessing that she has been hearing a voice in her head which has been telling her to do terrible things - hit herself, not talk to anyone, not have fun, to clean, to wash her face, has called her disgusting and dirty, and told her she'd make her father die if she didn't listen. She eventually figures out, with the help of a therapist, how to control the voice. The realization of who the voice is, and the trauma that put it there helps Cassie deal with it. But it's a window into what it's like to live with mental illness and what people and their families go through.
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: This is the Part Where you Laugh, The Art of Not Breathing, Challenger Deep, Calvin
FIC CAI
Personal ownership of books is forbidden. Jess and his family are book smugglers but then his family sends him to study for the great Library they hope he will become their spy to boost their business. But Jess finds a home at the Library and wants to succeed, until he finds that the Library may not be the benevolent entity he thought they were and they value knowledge over human life.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Rook, The Lie Tree, Incarceron, Court of Fives
This is the Story of You by Beth Kephart
FIC-REALISTIC KEP
Mira lives on Haven, a six mile stretch of barrier island near Atlantic City. She's grown up there and loves the island and is dedicated to her family and two best friends. But then a Super Storm comes in and devastates the island. Her mother and brother are stuck on the mainland and can't get to her, so she has to figure out how to survive on her own. When a stranger shows up at her house, she is shocked and amazed to find out their connection. Written in a lyrical form.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Life as We Knew It, We All Looked Up, Safekeeping, After the Snow
FIC-REALISTIC LAR
Ashley is overweight, and every year on her birthday, her grandmother tries to bribe her to lose weight. First it was a shopping spree, then it was Disneyland, the a car. Ashley always refused it until it escalated to the one thing Ashley couldn't refuse - 4 years tuition to Harvard. Her grandmother wants her to have gastric bypass surgery. Ashely is happy the way she is and can't understand why she should change. But she is slowly changing her mind because Harvard has always been her dream.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Dumplin', A Step Toward Falling, Tumbling, 45 Pounds (More or Less), Fans of the Impossible Life
Infinite In Between By Carolyn Mackler
FIC-REALISTIC MAC
This book follows the lives of five High School freshman from the first day of school up until graduation. It shows how much can change, how people can grow, how dreams can be realized, and how tragedy can happen all in the blink of an eye.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Beginning of Everything, A Step Towards Falling, Boys Don't Knit, The Big Crunch, Paper Towns
FIC-REALISTI SEL
JT is gay and wants to be a teen drag queen. There's a contest in NYC that he wants to compete in in order to win a full scholarship to college. So JT, his boyfriend Shane, and their friend Heather lie to their parents and travel up to NYC to enter. Along the way they meet a Drag Queen who teaches JT how to look glamorous, an old country singer who teaches him how to feel confident with himself, and other people along the way who help him in his journey to find his best self. It's all pretty predictable, but it's a funny story about a boy who finally can feel good about himself.
LGBTQ, Humor
Read this if you liked: Will Greyson, Will Greyson, The Porcupine of Truth, True Letters from a Fictional Life, Whatever
FIC-FANTASY GRO
This is Harry Potter on steroids. Quentin, like Harry, finds out he's a magician at a late age, goes to a school for wizards, and meets his forever friends. They have adventures, they fight, they even play in a wizard tournament. But The Magicians' first book takes them through all four years of school and put them into their grand adventure. They're a group of teens, then young adults, who drink, have sex, curse, and have relationships, both good and bad. There's a lot of action and adventure in the book, as well as a lot of soul searching.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Harry Potter, Carry On, The Young Elites, Artemis Fowl, Eragon, Uprooted, Seraphina
Genius: The Game by Leopoldo Gout
FIC-SUSPENSE GOU
Three underprivileged young prodigies from across the world with incredible skills in technology and engineering team up to become the heroes the world never knew they could be. Written in three points of view, these teens are online friends who get the opportunity to meet IRL (in real life) for the first time when they’re invited to a competition. Winners will receive spots doing cutting-edge tech development.
Suspense, Adventure
Read this if you liked: Alex Rider books, Code Orange, Ready Player One, Panic
Freedom Summer Murders by Don Mitchell
323 MIT
In June of 1964, three idealistic young men (one black and two white) were lynched by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi. They were trying to register African Americans to vote as part of the Freedom Summer effort to bring democracy to the South. Their disappearance and murder caused a national uproar and was one of the most significant incidents of the Civil Rights Movement, and contributed to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Non Fiction, Historical
Read this if you liked: Port Chicago 50, They Called Themselves the KKK, 10 Days the Unexpectedly Changed America
FIC-SUSPENSE KIR
Lisa is 16 and pregnant, and has been kidnapped. One would think that in that situation, she would be scared and begging to be let go. But not Lisa. She is methodical and calculating, and she'd bidding her time until she can get revenge on her kidnappers. She's almost robotic in her methods.
Psychological Suspense
Read this if you liked: Girl on the Train, In a Dark, Dark Wood, Gone Girl, Defending Jacob
Highly Illogical Behavior by John Corey Whaley
FIC-REALISTIC WHA
Solomon is a 16 year old boy who is Agoraphobic. After having a breakdown that lead to him stripping down in the school fountain, he locked himself in his house and hasn’t left for three years. Lisa, a determined girl who wants to get into the second best college psychology program in the country, has to write a paper about her personal experiences with mental illness. She decides to use Solomon and try to “fix” him. Will Lisa and Solomon become friends? Or will Solomon find out Lisa is just using him? ~ Reviewed by Sarah Basenese
LGBTQ, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Great American Whatever, Will Grayson, I'll Give You the Sun, Everything, Everything, We are the Ants, All the Bright Places, The Sun is Also a Star
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
FIC-SPORTS ALE
Josh and Jordan must come to grips with growing up on and off the court to realize breaking the rules comes at a terrible price, as their story's heart-stopping climax proves a game-changer for the entire family. - goodreads
Novels in Verse, SPORTS
Read this if you liked: Full Cicada Moon, Enchanted Air, Booked, He Said, She Said, Crush, The Playbook
Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War
By Steve Sheinkin
MILITARY B ELL
True story of Daniel Ellsberg, and his part in exposing lies and coverups during the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. After working for the government and being privy to top secret documents and memos, he became increasingly opposed to the Vietnam War and the politics behind it. He set out to expose the politicians who were keeping the war going for their own gain. He was arrested and tried for treason for passing these documents onto the press so the American people could see for themselves the corruption of the government.
Historical
Read this if you liked: Symphony of the City of the Dead, Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom, Beyond Courage
This Book is Gay by James Dawson
STARRED 306.76 DAW
This is a funny and lighthearted look at a difficult subject, and a fantastic resource for teens who have questions. Dawson breaks the book up into various parts, explaining fundamentals like what to call yourself (if you want to), how to deal with negativity, and how to have a relationship. It's all very up front and candid - there is no hiding in this book. It's a must for teens and adults who are confused, and even for those who aren't.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Beyond Magenta, Some Assembly Required
FIC-REALISTIC DOW
Three generations of women living in the same house, all with a secret. Katie's mother is a scared control freak. She thinks anything and everything can go wrong and holds Katie to very high standards. Katie's grandmother has been literally dropped on their doorstep after years of no contact. She's in the beginning stages of Alzheimers and the family is trying to cope. Katie is confused and tired of trying to be perfect. They all learn and they all grow, and figure out how to be a family.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Fault in our Stars, Lock and Key, The Rest of Us Just Live Here, All the Bright Places
FIC-SCI FI KEN
Yuri, a 17 year old Russian physicist genius, is in the US helping stop a meteor from smashing into California. He's not always taken seriously, and he's a bit socially inept. He meets Dovie, the daughter of hippie parents and a definite free spirit. Yuri likes her and spends time with her doing normal teenage things. He finally finds a friend a realizes there is more to life than science.
Sci Fi, Realistic
Read this if you liked: The Memory Book, Enter Title Here, Eleanor & Park, Delirium
FIC WIV
Based on a true story, this novel in verse is the story of two friends who survived the Auschwitz concentration camps through sheer will and determination. Zlatia made a paper heart for Farnia's birthday, which she kept through the marches and through liberation, and for her entire life. It meant the world to her and she donated it to the Montreal Holocaust Memorial museum as testimony.
Novel in Verse, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Audacity, Then, The Boy who Dared, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Milkweed
Symphony for the City of the Dead by M. T. Anderson
MILITARY 940.542 AND
The true story of the 3 year siege of Leningrad during WWII. Although the people were virtually prisoners in the city, Dmitri Shostakovich continued to write his symphonies, often at the request of the Soviet government, as a way of rousing the moral of the people. Conditions were so bad, that in order to survive, the people of Leningrad eventually became cannibalistic. But Soviets valued the arts and his music had a tremendous affect on the people and the war effort.
Non Fiction, World War II
Read this if you liked: The Family Romanov, The Boys who Challenged Hitler, any World War II book
Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
FIC-ROMANCE DES
Peyton, Sydney's charismatic older brother, has always been the star of the family, receiving the lion's share of their parents' attention and—lately—concern. When Peyton's increasingly reckless behavior culminates in an accident, a drunk driving conviction, and a jail sentence, Sydney is cast adrift, searching for her place in the family and the world. - goodreads
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Infinite In Between, I'll Meet You There, The Boy Most Likely To, Exit, Pursued by a Bear
A Little in Love by Susan Fletcher
FIC-ROMANCE FLE
Eponine, the street girl from Les Misérables, tells the story of her life and her unrequited love for Marius, which ultimately leads to her death on the barricades during the short-lived rebellion of June 1832. - novelist
Historical Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Les Miserables, Belle Epoque, Tiger Lilly
Exit, Pursued by a Bear by E. K. Johnston
FIC JOH
Hermoine, the co-captain of her high school's champion cheerleading team, is drugged and raped at camp. Because she doesn't remember the attack, she struggles with her recovery because she doesn't feel it actually happened to her. She has a rock-solid support system - her friends, family, and coach, and she has the drive to not let this define her. She's strong, and when she's not, she has a lot of people around her to prop her up. She's a good character, a good role model. The book is based on A Winter's Tale.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: How to Save a Life, Someone Like You, Burn Baby Burn, Dime, All American Boys
This is Where the World Ends by Amy Zhan
FIC-REALISTIC ZHA
Next-door neighbors, polar opposites and secret best friends Micah and Janie hide their friendship from their clique-minded classmates until Janie is date raped and she becomes ostracized by her former friends. Micah is having trouble remembering what happened the night of a big party, and while going through therapy, is slowly remembering. Janie is trying to get over the rape and now that she's missing, Micah is getting worried.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: We Were Liars, Althea & Oliver, Please Ignore Vera Dietz, The Girl Who Fell
The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer
FIC-SCI-FI CRE
In an alternate nineteenth-century America that is still a colony of Britain's industrial empire, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees' struggle to survive is interrupted by a newcomer with no memory, bearing secrets about a terrible future - goodreads
Steampunk, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Etiquette and Espionage, Clockwork Scarab, Expiration Day, Masque of the Red Dead
FIC-SCI-FI WHA
After dying at the age of sixteen, Travis' head was removed and frozen for five years before being attached to another body, and now the old Travis and the new must find a way to coexist while figuring out changes in his relationships. - Novelist
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Man Made Boy, Thanks for the Trouble, Going Bovine, The Taking
FIC-VERSE CRO
Audacity is inspired by the real-life story of Clara Lemlich, a spirited young woman who emigrated from Russia to New York at the turn of the twentieth century and fought tenaciously for equal rights. - goodreads
Novels in Verse, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: A Northern Light, Riot, Enchanted Air, Paper Hearts, Out of Darkness
Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen
FIC-VERSE JEN
Mira is just beginning her senior year of high school when she discovers her father with his male lover. Her world is shattered instantly. Unable to comprehend the lies, betrayal, and secrets that have come to define and keep intact her family’s existence, Mira distances herself from her sister and closest friends as a means of coping. - Amazon
Novels in Verse, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Glass, A Northern Light, Shark Girl
Daughters of Ruin by K. D. Castner
FIC-FANTASY CAS
Four girl are raised as sisters and trained in fighting skills in the hope that they will one day unite the kingdom when they are old enough to rule, but not all is not as it seems. The “sisters” care little for one another and have their own agendas. Everything changes when the castle is attacked during an evening ball, and the girls need their wits and training to survive the political machinations while deciding where their loyalties lie.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Game of Thrones, Red Queen, Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
FIC-HISTORICAL HES
In 1943 Nazi-occupied Amsterdam, teenage Hanneke--a 'finder' of black market goods--is tasked with finding a Jewish girl a customer had been hiding, who has seemingly vanished into thin air, and is pulled into a web of resistance activities and secrets as she attempts to solve the mystery and save the missing girl"--.Novelist
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Book Thief, Milkweed, Between Shades of Grey, Sarah's Key
This is the Story of You by Beth Kephart
FIC-REALISTIC KEP
On Haven, a six-mile long, half-mile-wide stretch of barrier island, Mira and her Year-Rounder friends have risen to every challenge. But then a superstorm defies all predictions and devastates the island, upending all logic and stranding Mira's mother and brother on the mainland. Nothing will ever be the same. -Amazon
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Burn, Baby Burn, Exit, Pursued by Bear, Not if I See You First
The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith
FIC-REALISTIC SMI
Eden McCrorey’s was a band geek and good student and harbored a secret crush on her beloved older brother’s best friend. But her life is overturned when, in her freshman year, that best friend rapes her late one night in her own bed—and threatens to kill her if she tells anyone. She keeps the secret and soon finds herself using sex and boys to gain control over her own body. She distances herself from her best friend and a loving boyfriend while losing interest in music, academics, and her own future. - Book List
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: What Happened to Goodbye, Thirteen Reasons Why, The Running Dream, Hate List
The Great American Whatever by Tim Federle
FIC-REALISTIC FED
Quinn Roberts is a sixteen-year-old smart aleck and Hollywood hopeful whose only worryused to be writing convincing dialogue for the movies he made with his sister Annabeth. Of course, that was all before—before Quinn stopped going to school, before his mom started sleeping on the sofa…and before the car accident that changed everything.
LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda, Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl, I'll Give you the Sun
Thanks for the Trouble by Tommy Wallach
FIC-REALISTIC WAL
Parker Sante has not spoken since his father died, years ago. When he meets Zelda Toth, the silver-haired girl who looks 18 but claims to be 247 years old and immortal, his life changes. She says she is going to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge because she has nothing left to live for, but Parker tries to change her mind. Along the way, she transforms Parker, who doesn't have friends and who is an introvert, and he figures out there is more out there to live for.
Coming of Age, Magical Realism
Read this if you liked: Noggin, Because You'll Never Meet Me, The Moon and More
FIC-REALISTIC LEA
Seventeen-year-old Calvin, who was born on the day that the last Calvin and Hobbes comic strip was published, is stricken by a schizophrenic episode and begins having conversations with the tiger, Hobbes. Struggling to regain control of his mind and destiny, Calvin becomes convinced that he'll get better if the strip's creator, Bill Watterson, will draw just one more comic.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Challenger Deep, Stoner and Spaz, Fans of the Impossible Life, Chasing Shadows
FIC-HISTORICAL MED
Nora Lopez is seventeen during the infamous New York summer of 1977, when the city is besieged by arson, a massive blackout, and a serial killer named Son of Sam who shoots young women on the streets. Nora's family life isn't going so well either: her bullying brother, Hector, is growing more threatening by the day, her mother is helpless and falling behind on the rent, and her father calls only on holidays. All Nora wants is to turn eighteen and be on her own. And while there is a cute new guy who started working with her at the deli, is dating even worth the risk when the killer likes picking off couples who stay out too late?--Amazon.com
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Exit, Pursued by Bear, Out of Darkness, Unbecoming
The Walls Around Us by Nova Ren Suma
FIC-SUPERNATURAL SUM
Orianna and Violet are ballet dancers and best friends, but when the ballerinas who have been harassing Violet are murdered, Orianna is accused of the crime and sent to a juvenile detention center where she meets Amber and they experience supernatural events linking the girls together. - Novelist
Supernatural, Thriller, Suspense
Read this if you liked: We Were Liars, I Know What you did Last Summer, Bone Gap, Infandous, Alex Crow
FIC-FANTASY NOV
Agnieszka is chosen by The Dragon, the great wizard of her valley, to come serve him for a period of ten years. In his castle, Agnieszka discovers she is also a wizard, and helps the Dragon fight The Wood, the evil, mystical presence that has threatened the valley for all time. Good book, rated one of the best of the year. I liked it, but didn't love it, although that might be because I'm getting tired of fantasy.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Seraphina, Thirteenth Child, Darkest Part of the Forest, Enchanted
Because You'll Never Meet Me by Leah Thomas
FIC-REALISTIC THO
Ollie, who seizes near electricity, lives in a cabin in the woods and rarely sees other people. Moritz, who has a heart defect and is sees only by echolocation, is bullied at school. Urged by a doctor they both know, they begin a pen pal correspondence and help each other through troubling times.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Not if I See You First, Stoner and Spaz, Torn Away, Theory of Everything
FIC-SCI-FI Well
Marisa might spend her days in Mirador, but she lives on the net-going to school, playing games, hanging out, or doing things of more questionable legality with her friends Sahara and Anja. And it's Anja who first gets her hands on Bluescreen-a virtual drug that plugs right into a person's djinni and delivers a massive, nonchemical, completely safe high. But Mari and her friends soon find themselves in the middle of a conspiracy that is much bigger than they ever suspected"--Amazon.com.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Feed, Legend, Eye of Minds, Unwind
FIC-SCI-FI LON
Privileged teenager Sid has a proxy, Knox, who receives punishment for Syd's wrong doings, when Syd kills one of his friends in a car crash, it is Knox who is sentenced to death. When the two boys realize they must work together to beat the system they flee looking for answers.
Adventure, Science Fiction, Dystopian, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Coda, Feed, Legend, I Am Number Four, Legend
Slasher Girls and Monster Boys
SC SLA
A host of the sharpest young adult authors come together in this collection of terrifying tales and psychological thrillers. Each story draws from a mix of literature, film, television, or even music to offer something new and fresh and unsettling. These are stories that will make you think even as they keep you on the edge of your seat. From bloody horror, to the supernatural, to unnerving, all-too-possible realism, this collection has something for anyone looking for an absolute thrill.
Horror, Short Stories
Read this if you liked: Scowler, The Marbury Lens, Monstrous Affections
Thirteen Chairs by Dave Shelton
SC SHE
In an abandoned house, the ghosts gather. They argue, they laugh, and they tell their stories. Some of them true, some of them not. Each tales draws you in. One by one, the storytellers depart, until suddently it's just you and the narrator, alone in the dark. -Goodreads
Horror, ghost stories
Read this if you liked: The Accident Season, any R.L. Stine
FIC BAR
Ketterdam is a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone. He needs a convict with a thirst for revenge, a sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager, a runaway with a privileged past, a spy known as the Wraith, a Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums, a thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. -goodreads
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Incarceron, Artemis Fowl, Shadow and Bone, The Rose Society
FIC-DYSTOPIAN CAM
In the Sunken City that was once Paris, all who oppose the new revolution are being put to the blade. Except for those who disappear from their prison cells, a red-tipped rook feather left in their place. Is the mysterious Red Rook a savior of the innocent or a criminal? Meanwhile, across the sea in the Commonwealth, Sophia Bellamy’s arranged marriage to the wealthy René Hasard is the last chance to save her family from ruin. But when the search for the Red Rook comes straight to her doorstep, Sophia discovers that her fiancé is not all he seems. Which is only fair, because neither is she. -goodreads
Dystopian Fiction, Adventure
Read this if you liked: Life as We Knew it, After the Red Rain, Ember in the Ashes
FIC-REALISTIC JOH
Fifteen-year-old Jennifer has to force her family to admit she needs help for her eating disorder. But when her parents sign her into the Samuel Tuke Center, she knows it’s a terrible mistake. The facility’s locked doors, cynical nurses, and harsh rules are a far cry from the peaceful, supportive environment she’d imagined. In order to be discharged, Jennifer must make her way through the strict treatment program. She is forced to examine her relationships, both inside and outside the hospital.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Wintergirls, Go Ask Alice, Crank, One Thing Stolen
A Step Toward Falling by Cammie McGovern
FIC-REALISTIC MCG
This is a book about learning from your mistakes, and learning to forgive. Emily has always been the kind of girl who tries to do the right thing—until one night when she does the worst thing possible. She sees Belinda, a classmate with developmental disabilities, being attacked. Inexplicably, she does nothing at all. When their high school finds out what happened, Emily and Lucas, a football player who was also there that night, are required to perform community service at a center for disabled people. Soon, they begin to feel like they're starting to make a real difference. But can they do anything that will actually help the one person they hurt the most?
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: What's Broken Between Us, Don't Ever Change, Thousand Words
Not if I See You First by Eric Lindstrom
FIC-REALISTIC LIN
Parker Grant is blind, but can see right through you. That’s why she created the Rules: Don’t treat her any differently, and never take advantage. When Scott reappears after being gone for years, Parker knows there’s only one way to react—shun him so hard it hurts. But avoiding her past quickly proves impossible, and the more Parker learns about what really happened the more she starts to question if things are always as they seem.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Theory of Everything, Because You'll Never Meet Me, A Step Towards Falling
FIC DUM
Self-proclaimed fat girl Willowdean Dickson (Dumplin') has always been at home in her own skin. With her best friend Ellen by her side, things have always worked. Will meets Bo, a hot former jock, and likes him, but she is surprised when he seems to like her back and starts to doubt herself. So she sets out to take back her confidence by doing the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Clover City beauty pageant—along with several other unlikely candidates—to show the world that she deserves to be up there as much as any twiggy girl does. Along the way, she’ll shock Clover City—and maybe herself most of all.
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Eleanor and Park, 45 Pounds, Fans of the Impossible Life, Future Perfect
The Game of Love and Death by Marth Brockenbrough
FIC-ROMANCE BRO
For centuries Love and Death have chosen their players. If they don't choose each other in the end, they will die. And Death has always won. Flora is an African-American girl who dreams of becoming the next Amelia Earhart by day and sings in the smoky jazz clubs of Seattle by night. Henry is born a few blocks and a million worlds away, a white boy with his future assured in the midst of the Great Depression, a college scholarship, and all the opportunities in the world seemingly available to him.
Magical Realism, Romance
Read this if you liked: Another Day, Eleanor and Park, The Walls Around Us
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
FIC-FANTASY MAA
In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.
Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: Court of Thornes and Roses, Girl of Fire and Thorns, An Ember in the Ashes, Daughter of Smoke and Bones
Black Widow: Forever Red by Margaret Stohl
FIC-FANTASY STO
Natasha Romanov, called the Black Widow, agent of S.H.I.E.L.D, rescues a young girl from Ivan, the man who once trained her as an assassin--and eight years later she is called upon to protect the teenager Ava has become from a threat from the past--and possibly from S.H.I.E.L.D itself.
Action and Adventure, Superheros
Read this if you liked: Steelheart, Hero, Zeroes, The Fifth Wave, Leviathan
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara
FIC-ADULT YAN
The book spans the lives of four college roommates, centering around Jude. He is deeply and emotionally scarred, having been horribly abused during his childhood. He is a complex man, and feels he has no self-worth. He has no idea the effect he has on the lives of everyone around him, and although they try to tell him time and again, he is incapable of believing them. It is haunting and beautifully written.
Realistic Fiction, Psychological fiction
Read this if you liked: Go Ask Alice, A Child Called It, A Spool of Blue Thread
FIC-ADULT MOR
Sixty years after little Theo disappears from his home, Sadie, a police officer on leave, stumbles upon the case and wants to solve it. Alternating between the past and the present, there are many interesting characters in Theo's life and many different theories about what happened to him.
Mystery, Parallel narratives
Read this if you liked: The Forgotten Garden, The Truth According to Us
In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
FIC-SUSPENSE WAR
A psychological suspense novel which takes place in a beautiful house in the middle of a deserted forest. A group of friends get together for the weekend, and little things start to happen which cause friction in the group and tension. There are fights and bickering and mysterious footsteps in the snow and no cell service. Secrets from the past come out and when someone breaks into the house, tensions are so high, tragedy strikes.
Mystery, psychological suspense
Read this if you liked: The Girl on the Train, Gone Girl, Before I Go to Sleep, Shutter Island
Forever for a Year by B. T. Gottfred
FIC-ROMANCE GOT
A true coming of age story about a boy and a girl who meet and fall hopelessly and intensely in love. The book takes you through their entire relationship, told in alternating voices. Gottfred writes just like teens speak and it almost seems like it's written like a diary. They're young, they're in love, they experiment, they fight, they have problems, but they are in love and think they will always be together.
Romance, Realistic fiction
Read this if you liked Eleanor and Park, Fangirl, Paper Towns, Althea and Oliver
FIC-FANTASY ROW
A different sort of a concept from Rainbow Rowell in that she takes the story within the story in Fan Girl and completes it for us. Simon is the most powerful magician his world has ever seen but he has trouble with the simplest of spells. Baz, his roommate, is a vampire and his arch enemy. They live at The Watford School of Magic, and even though they hate each other, they decide to call a truce when the ghost of Baz's mom comes to visit and tells them to avenge her death. Through it all, they think that maybe they don't hate each other as much as they thought, even though they have trouble admitting it.
Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked Harry Potter, The Magicians, The Young Elites, Fan Girl anything by Rainbow Rowell
After the Red Rain by Barry Lyga, Peter Facinelli, Robert DeFranco
FIC LYG
In the distant future, on the ruined planet Earth, Deedra lives a hard life working and barely getting by. But one day she comes across a beautiful boy named Rose who has a secretive past and special abilities, but who has a much different outlook than anyone Deedra knows. They are drawn to each other and fall in love. They discover there are people who are trying to destroy their already bleak existence, and fight together to save what they have
Science Fiction, Dystopian, Romance
Read it if you liked Prodigy, Hunger Games, Shipbreaker, The Giver
Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
FIC-FANTASY MAA
In this classic Beauty and the Beast story, Feyre kills a fairy in the woods and as punishment, must go live in the land of Faeries with Tamlin, her captor. At first it's very difficult, and she does everything she can to escape, but she eventually learns to accept her new life and and even enjoy Tamlin's company. When an evil fairy threatens to destroy the land and to kill Feyre, Tamlin sends her back to her home in order to keep her safe. Once home, she realizes she cannot live without him, and goes back to to find a curse has been cast over the land and she must fight to save him and the realm.
Fantasy, suspense, romance, intrigue, action. Some sexual situations
Read this if you liked The Heir Series, The Red Queen, Ember in the Ashes, Beastly, Games of Thrones
FIC-ROMANCE COL
City Love is told in the voices of three roommates starting college: Sadie, the 'normal' girl who grew up in the City, Rosana, the small town girl who lives by a pretty strict moral code, and Darcy, the rich girl from California who wants to do nothing but have fun and date as many boys as she can. Even though they are all really different, they instantly bond and become the best of friends. They've just moved to NYC and are having the time of their lives. Problems arise and things aren't always what they seem.
Romance, friendship, roommates, college, NYC
Read this if you liked: Any Sarah Dessen book. A good beach read.
An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
FIC-FANTASY TAH
Elias is a mask, an elite group of warriors. He is chosen to fight to the death or become Emperor. But Elias hates being a warrior and wants to leave the life he has lived, but now he is trapped. He meets and falls in love with Laia, a slave and part of the resistance, who is spying on this elite group. They both want to do what is right, and they are not supposed to be in love, but they are drawn to one another.
Fantasy, romance, suspense, action, adventure
Read it if you liked: Hunger Games, Divergent, The Young Elites, Finnikin of the Rock
Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
FIC-STARRED-ROMANCE YOO
Madeline has a rare immune deficiency disease and has lived in her house her whole life - never leaving, never having visitors, always wondering what it would be like to be outside. When a boy moves in next door and her heart skips a beat, she will never be the same. But one day she learns the truth about her disease and her whole world changes.
Romance, coming of age
Read it if you liked: Fault in our Stars, Zac and Mia, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Finnikin of the Rock
Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
FIC-STARRED-REALISTIC ALB
Simon is not openly gay and is being blackmailed when another student finds out he's having an online relationship with someone in his school. They fall in love but the other boy is afraid to meet him and afraid of what will happen when they do. Simon is forced to come out to his family and friends and tries to figure out who in the world it could be. It's lighthearted, funny, very sweet coming of age story
LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read it if you liked: Will Greyson, Will Greyson, Two Boys Kissing, Perks of Being a Wallflower
The F*** It List by Julie Halpern
FIC-REALISTIC HAL
Alex's best friend Becca has cancer and she wants to do what she can to help her. Becca asks Alex to complete here Bucket List. Some of the things she's ok with, others, not so much. Alex herself has a lot of baggage she's trying to deal with, and doesn't really deal well. But as she completes the list, she learns that we have to live our lives to the fullest and not be afraid, because life is fleeting. Filled with a bit too much sex and language, but realistic for High School students.
Realistic Fiction, death and dying, friendship
Read it if you liked: The Fault in Our Stars, Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl, The DUFF, Ten Miles Past Normal
The DUFF (Designated Ugly Fat Friend) by Kody Keplinger
FIC-STARRED-REALISTIC KEP
After the school hottie calls Bianca a DUFF, her low self esteem goes even lower. She hates him, but then begins to like him, then begins to use him to make herself feel better about her life. When a nice boy starts to like her, Bianca feels like that's who she should be with, but is caught between the the two. There is a bit too much sex in it for a YA book, but it's part of the lesson she learns in the end.
Realistic fiction, Books to Movie, sarcastic, character-driven
Read this if you liked: The Earth, My Butt, and Other Round Things, The List, Beauty Queens
FIC-STARRED-FANTASY WES
Told from separate viewpoints, a group of teens have superhuman abilities. They don't have total control, and try to help each other figure out what they can and should do. They try to work together to respond to a high stake crisis in their town.
Science Fiction, Action, Adventure
Read it if you liked: X-Men, Maximum Ride, Steelheart, Hero, Rot & Ruin
More Happy than Not by Adam Silvera
FIC-SCI-FI SIL
After enduring his father's suicide, his own suicide attempt, and broken friendships, Aaron wants to have a mind-altering procedure to forget all of his problems. He has feeling for his new friend Thomas and is so confused, but this book looks at the subject in such a sensitive way and has you rooting for Aaron who is struggling with his sexuality.
LGBTQ, Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Will Grayson, Will Grayson, I'll Give you the Sun, Simon vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda
FIC BRO
After losing everything, including her mother and sister in a tornado, Jersey is sent away to live with her father whom she has never met. That turns out to be a redneck nightmare. When her father says he doesn't want her, she goes to live with grandparents who apparently disowned her mother when she was a baby. She wants to hate them, but she's finds out they are good people and grows to care. She learns things about her mother that are contrary to what she believes and has a hard time dealing with all the changes in her life.
Realistic fiction
Read this if you liked: The Truth about Forever, Kissing in America, Playlist for the Dead
FIC-ADULT REA
Simon's son is a suspect in a school shooting and he doesn't know what to think. Chapters flash back through Jake's childhood and Simon, a stay at home dad, questions the choices he has made and wonders if he somehow raised his son 'wrong' which led him to this. He is very hard on himself and has a hard time seeing all the good in Jake.
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Defending Jacob, We Need to Talk About Jacob, Gone Girl
The Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
FIC-ADULT KNO
Ani is living the life she's always wanted - she has a great job, killer body, and a gorgeous boyfriend. But Ani is trying to escape her past. She was raped in HS and has been asked to do a documentary about it . Her socialite fiance doesn't want her to do it, but she feels she must in order to get some closure. When they start filming, we find that she was involved in a school shooting which is curiously tied into the rape, and the truth finally comes out.
Mystery, suspense
Read this if you liked: Gone Girl, Sharp Objects, After We Fall, The Girl on the Train
A Man Calle Ove by Fredrik Backman
FIC-ADULT BAC
Ove is a great character. He is a lonely old man, a complete curmudgeon who is trying to kill himself because he misses his wife so desperately. But stuff keeps getting in the way and he has to keep putting it off. It's quite comical, for such a serious situation. But all that stuff makes you see what a good person he is - and then when he has a heart attack, the doctor proclaims he has a heart that's too big, and you know that he does. A lovely, touching book.
Realistic Fiction, Quirky
Read this if you liked: The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry, The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, The Gurnsey Literary and Potato Peel Society
The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers
FIC-ADULT MEY
The story is told from three different points of view - Tia, the young girl who is pregnant with a married man's baby; Caroline, who adopts the baby but secretly hates being a mother; and Juliette, the wife who find out her husband cheated and is trying to figure out what to do. Desperate for the truth, Juliette searches for the baby and the three women collide with disastrous consequences.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Last Affair, The Husband's Secret, Outside the Lines
The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
FIC-FANTASY AVE
The world is divided by blood - red or silver. The Reds are commoners and ruled by the Silver elite who have god-like superpowers. Mare Barrow, a Red, is working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power. Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view,but she works to help the Red Guard to bring down the Silver regime.
Dystopian, Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Divergent, Hunger Games, Selection, Red Rising, The Young Elites
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
FIC-SUPERNATURAL BLA
For three years, seventeen-year-old Cas Lowood has carried on his father's work of dispatching the murderous dead, traveling with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat, but everything changes when he meets Anna, a girl unlike any ghost he has faced before.
Horror, Ghost
Read this if you liked: The Monstrumologist, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer, The Name of the Star
Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl by Jess Andrews
FIC-STARRED-REALISTIC AND
Greg and his friend Earl, are high school nerds who spend their time making movies. Greg’s mother forces him to rekindle his childhood friendship with Rachel who has been diagnosed with leukemia—-cue extreme adolescent awkwardness—-but a parental mandate has been issued and must be obeyed. When Rachel stops treatment, Greg and Earl decide the thing to do is to make a film for her, which turns into the Worst Film Ever Made and becomes a turning point in each of their lives.
Realistic Fiction, Books to Movies
Read this if you liked: The Fault in our Stars, Dear Life You Suck, 100 Miles Sideways, Crash and Burn
FIC-STARRED-SCI-FI WEI
An edge-of-your seat thriller with laugh-out-loud dialogue mixed in. After a bad storm cuts his team’s Mars mission short, injured astronaut Mark Watley is stranded. Now he’s got to figure out how to survive without air, shelter, food, or water on the harsh Martian landscape until the next manned mission in four years. It’s Science Fiction with a capital S, but Weir does a fabulous job of making it accessible to non-science geeks (like me). -- Dan Brooks for LibraryReads.
Science Fiction, Suspense
Read this if you liked: Ender's Game, The 5th Wave, The Revenant
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
FIC-STARRED-ROMANCE NIV
When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it’s unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the “natural wonders” of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It’s only with Violet that Finch can be himself—a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who’s not such a freak after all. And it’s only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet’s world grows, Finch’s begins to shrink. - Amazon
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Fault in our Stars, The Truth about Forever, Forgive me Leonard Peacock
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
FIC-HISTORICAL HAN
Vianne is left behind when her husband heads for the Front. When the Nazis invade her little town, they come in droves of marching soldiers, with trucks and tanks, and dropping bombs on the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne's home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Girl You Left Behind, The Boys in the Boat, Unbroken, Code Name Verity
Looking for Alaska by John Green
FIC-REALISTIC GRE
Miles “Pudge” Halter's whole life has been one big non-event, and has craved “the Great Perhaps” his whole life. He heads off to the sometimes crazy and anything-but-boring world of Culver Creek Boarding School, and his life becomes the opposite of safe. Because down the hall is Alaska Young. She is gorgeous, clever, funny, sexy, self-destructive, screwed up, and utterly fascinating. She pulls Pudge into her world, launches him into the Great Perhaps, and steals his heart. Then nothing is ever the same.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked anything by John Green, Thirteen Reasons Why, Please Ignore Vera Dietz
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
FIC-ADULT MAN
An actor playing King Lear dies onstage just before a cataclysmic event changes the future of everyone on Earth. Twenty years later, Kirsten moves between the settlements of the altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians. When they arrive in St. Deborah by the Water, they encounter a violent prophet who will threaten the tiny band’s existence. And as the story takes off, moving back and forth in time, and vividly depicting life before and after the pandemic, the strange twist of fate that connects them all will be revealed.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Year of the Flood, The Dog Stars, The Gracekeepers, The Bone Clocks
The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks
FIC-SUSPENSE BRO
Sixteen year old Linus, a street person since leaving home, is kidnapped and taken to an underground bunker where he is soon joined by five others, ranging in age from nine to seventy, who are alternately cared for and tortured by their unseen captor.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Code Orange, The Rules of Survival, Alex Rider
We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist
At the age of twenty-five, Josh Sundquist, who had Ewing's sarcoma as a child and is now a paralympic ski racer, looks back to try to understand why he has never had a steady girlfriend. He tells the story of each of his 'relationships and how they went wrong. You have to feel so sorry for this guy - he was so clueless and scared of girls! But he was also a cancer survivor with only one leg, and from my view, really brave.
Biography
Read this if you liked: Laughing at my Nightmare, Some Assembly Required, A List of Things that Didn't Kill Me
The Boys on the Boat by Daniel James Brown
797.12 HISTORICAL MON
The story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans.
Adventure
Read this if you liked: Unbroken, Seabiscuit, Dead Wake
The Family Romanov by Candance Fleming
947.08 HISTORICAL FLE
This is the tumultuous, heartrending, true story of the Romanovs—at once an intimate portrait of Russia's last royal family and a gripping account of its undoing. Using captivating photos and compelling first person accounts, award-winning author Candace Fleming (Amelia Lost; The Lincolns) deftly maneuvers between the imperial family’s extravagant lives and the plight of Russia's poor masses. - goodreads
Non Fiction, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: Port Chicago 50, The Boys who Challenged Hitler, Drowned City
The Truth about Alice by Jennifer Mathieu
FIC-REALISTIC MAT
Rumor has it that Alice Franklin is a slut. It's written all over the bathroom stall at Healy High for everyone to see. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumors start to spiral out of control.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Speak, Tease, Thirteen Reasons Why, Crank
I'll Give you the Sun by Jandy Nelson
FIC NEL
Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.
Realistic Fiction, LBTGQ
Read this if you liked: Eleanor and Park, Two Boys Kissing, The Sky is Everywhere, All the Bright Places
Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld
FIC-STARRED-SCI-FI WES
In alternating chapters, eighteen-year-old Darcy Patel navigates the New York City publishing world and Lizzie, the heroine of Darcy's novel, slips into the "Afterworld" to survive a terrorist attack and becomes a spirit guide, as both face many challenges and both fall in love.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Uglies, Illuminae, The 5th Wave, Red Rising
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
FIC-ADULT SIM
Don Tillman, a brilliant geneticist, thinks that having women fill out a six-page, double-sided questionnaire before a date is logical and reasonable. Rosie Jarman, an impetuous barmaid, thinks Don should loosen up and learn to live a little. Follow the unlikely pair in this laugh-out-loud, feel-good story of unexpected joys, discovery and love. -- LibraryReads.
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Us, Where'd You Go, Bernadette? The Universe vs. Alex Woods
More Than This by Patrick Ness
FIC-SCI-FI NES
Seth kills himself and wakes up in what can only be hell. It's the neighborhood he grew up in, where a horrible tragedy occurred that he blames himself for. He's all alone, it appears that it's deserted. But he finds two other kids, and they save him from 'The Driver'. Is he the devil? Why is he trying to kill them? He finds out the truth about his 'death' and what's happened to the world. Seth learns to trust and figures out that everyone has issues, and everyone is trying to get through life the best they can.
Sci Fi, LGBTQ
Read this is you liked: The Ghosts of Heaven, The MARTians
The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
FIC-SCI-FI BRA
Time traveler Prenna comes from a dark and dismal future filled with disease, lack of food, and no hope. She can't mingle with the 'time natives', but she feels drawn to Ethan. Together, they try to change the future as well as the present.
Science Fiction
Read this if you liked: Tempest, All Our Yesterdays, This World We Live In
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
FIC-FANTASY SAN
Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures called Chalklings. Joel wants to be one. He can only watch as students learn the magical art and would do anything to learn. When students start disappearing, he is assigned to a professor who is investigating the crimes. Joel finds an unexpected discovery which will change their world forever.
Fantasy
Read this if you liked: The Accidental Highwayman, The Story of Owen, Curtsies and Conspiracies
FIC-REALISTIC KIN
Gerald and Hannah are messed up teens. Gerald's family was on a reality show when he was a young. His sister tried to kill him countless times but no one believes him, his mother thinks he's the crazy one, and his father doesn't care. But he meets Hannah, falls in love, and starts to see that maybe he has a future after all.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Challenger Deep, Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock, Charm and Strange
FIC-DYSTOPIAN BRO
A tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife's execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy. Reminded me of Hogwarts, Hunger Games, and Game of Thrones all in one.
Dystopian, Sci Fi
Read this if you liked: Red Queen, Steelheart, Avalon, Lock In, Unbound, Proxy, Wolf by Wolf
FIC-DYSTOPIAN AND
In a future where most people have computer implants in their heads to control their environment, a boy meets an unusual girl who is in serious trouble.
Dystopian, Sci Fi
Read this if you liked: Proxy, Icons, Blue Screen, iBoy
FIC-MYSTERY LOC
This brilliant and heartbreaking novel tells the story of a prestigious family living on a private island off the coast of Massachusetts. Full of love, lies, secrets, no shortage of family dysfunction, and a shocking twist that you won’t see coming. Though this book is written for teens, it shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone looking for a fantastic read. -- Susan Balla for LibraryReads.
Mystery, Suspense
Read this if you liked: This is Where the World Ends, Belzhar, Liar, Vanishing Girls, Orbiting Jupiter
The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
FIC-REALISTIC SCH
Football star Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life. When he meets Cassidy, his life is transformed.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Paper Towns, Infinite In Between, The Big Crunch, The Sky is Everywhere
The Geography of You and Me by Jennifer Smith
FIC-ROMANCE SMI
Sparks fly when sixteen-year-old Lucy Patterson and seventeen-year-old Owen Buckley meet on an elevator rendered useless by a New York City blackout. Soon after, the two teenagers leave the city, but as they travel farther away from each other geographically, they stay connected emotionally, in this story set over the course of one year. - Booklist
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Anna and the French Kiss, Anything Sarah Dessen or Susane Colasanti
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
FIC-REALISTIC GRE
Having been recently dumped for the nineteenth time by a girl named Katherine, recent high school graduate and former child prodigy Colin sets off on a road trip with his best friend to try to find some new direction in life while also trying to create a mathematical formula to explain his relationships. -Novelist
Realistic Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Why We Broke Up, FanGirl, Boys Don't Knit
FIC-DYSTOPIAN ROT
In a future Chicago, sixteen-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, The Testing, Starters, Enclave, Incarceron
Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson
FIC-STARRED-SCI-FI SAN
A futuristic society where Superhuman Epics take over the world and The Reckoners try to bring them down. At age eight, David saw his father killed by an Epic and now he's getting his revenge. Fast paced, surprises, suspenseful, and a lot of energy.
Adventure, Action, Sci Fi
Read this if you liked: Eye of Minds, Hero, Matrix, Zeros
FIC-ROMANCE ROW
Wren and Cath are inseparable twins until they go to college and Wren decides she wants to be on her own. Cath is miserable, but trying to live on her own for the first time. She finds her voice as a writer, working on a Fanfiction of the Simon Snow book she loved as a kid, finds romance and friendship away from her comfort zone.
Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age
Read this if you liked: Eleanor and Park, The Big Crunch, Roomies, Guy in Real Life, I'll Meet You There
Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
FIC-ROMANCE ROW
Set over the course of one school year, Eleanor and Park meet on the bus. They are shy and geeky, and are not sure about themselves or each other. This is the story of two star-crossed sixteen-year-olds—smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try.
Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age
Read this if you liked: Fangirl, Like No Other, I'll Give you the Sun, Perks of Being a Wallflower
Forgive me Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick
FIC-REALISTIC QUI
Today is Leonard Peacock’s birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather’s P-38 pistol. But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him. -Goodreads
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Thirteen Reasons Why, All the Bright Places, Paper Towns, Playlist for the Dead
FIC-SCI-FI YAN
After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Cassie, a survivor of an alien invasion, must rescue her younger brother with only the help of a boy who may be one of them.
Dystopian, Sci Fi, Adventure
Read this if you liked: All Our Yesterdays, Scan, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Game, Across the Universe
Two Boys Kissing by David Levithan
FIC-ROMANCE LEV
Based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS.
Romance, Realistic Fiction, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Ask the Passengers, I'll Give you the Sun, Openly Straight, Rainbow Boys
This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith
FIC-ROMANCE SMI
Perfect strangers Graham Larkin and Ellie O'Neill meet online when Graham accidentally sends Ellie an e-mail about his pet pig, Wilbur. The two 17-year-olds strike up an e-mail relationship from opposite sides of the country and don't even know each other's first names. What's more, Ellie doesn't know Graham is a famous actor, and Graham doesn't know about the big secret in Ellie's family tree. When the relationship goes from online to in-person, they find out whether their relationship can be the real thing"-- Novelist
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Eleanor and Park, Every day, To All the Boys I've Loved Before, Just One Day
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
FIC-ROMANCE SMI
Seventeen-year-old Hadley's father is getting remarried, and while Hadley is (much) less than thrilled about it, she's traveling to England to be a part of his wedding. After missing her flight to London by just four minutes, Hadley gets rebooked on another flight...where she meets Oliver. -- Description by Ellen Foreman.
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Abundance of Katherines, Along for the Ride, Meant to Be, 13 Little Blue Envelopes
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
FIC-SUPERNATURAL GAR
In a small South Carolina town, where it seems little has changed since the Civil War, sixteen-year-old Ethan is powerfully drawn to Lena, a new classmate with whom he shares a psychic connection and whose family hides a dark secret that may be revealed on her sixteenth birthday. - Novelist
Paranormal Romance
Read this if you liked: Twilight, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, The Eternal Ones, Hush Hush
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
FIC-REALISTIC GRE
Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. -Amazon
Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: All the Bright Places, Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl, Before I Die, Everything, Everything
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
FIC-ADULT ATK
Ursula Todd is born but dies over and over again just to be reincarnated into her own life. As she lives her life, there are times that she senses de je vue and can alter her life. Sometimes corrects the tragedies, but there are times she does not.
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Time Traveler's Wife, The Night Circus, All the Light we Cannot See
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
FIC-HISTORICAL DOE
Marie-Laure is a young girl who is blind and must learn to navigate the streets of Paris. She has a wonderful father who works in the Museum of Natural History and he makes that her schoolhouse. Werner is a German who grows up in an orphanage who is incredibly bright and becomes an expert at radios. The book follows their paths until they meet during the war and Werner falls instantly in love.
Historical Fiction, Romance
Read this if you liked: The Nightingale, The Goldfinch, The Light Between the Oceans, Book Thief
FIC-STARRED-ROMANCE LEV
'A' jumps into a different body every day. It could be a boy, a girl, 'he' never knows where or who he's going to be, or what his day will be like. He's always just accepted it until he meet Rhiannon - then he can't stop thinking about her or wanting to be with her again. He doesn't ever want to interfere in the lives he's jumping into, but he finds he has to do what he must in order to see her again.
Fantasy, Magical Realism, Romance
Read this if you liked: Another Day, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, The Future of Us, Flip
FIC-REALISTIC VIV
Every year, The List of the eight prettiest and ugliest girls at their High School is published. Neither group does well in the aftermath of the publication of and really gets to the heart of what high school girls have to go through in society.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: DUFF, The Infinite In Between, The Earth, My Butt, and other Round Things.
Defending Jacob by William Landay
FIC-STARRED-ADULT LAN
When Jacob is accused of murdering a fellow student, his father, a respected district attorney, tries to defend him. His father believes him so wholeheartedly that he is blinded by the facts, but his mother is a bit more realistic, and it frightens her. Did their fourteen year old son actually do this?
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Finding Jake, We Need to Talk about Kevin, Gone Girl, Reconstructing Amelia
Unbroken by Lauren Hillenbrand
STARRED 940.54 HIL
The incredible story of Louis Zamperelli and his rise from teenage delinquent to the running in the Berlin Olympics. From there, a bomber pilot in WWII, lost at sea for months, captured by the Japanese and held in a POW camp for years. A remarkable life and story.
Adventure, Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Boys in the Boat, American Sniper, Seabiscuit, Lone Survivor, The Martian
We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver
FIC-STARRED-ADULT SHR
Kevin murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much-adored teacher two days before his sixteenth birthday. Now his mother is trying to come to terms with marriage, career, family, parenthood, in a series of letters with her estranged husband. Eva fears that her alarming dislike for her own son may be responsible for driving him so nihilistically off the rails.
Psychological Fiction
Read this if you liked: Defending Jacob, Finding Jake, Reconstructing Amelia, Nineteen Minutes
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
FIC-STARRED-SUPERNATURAL TAY
"Once upon a time, an angel fell in love with a devil....and it didn't go well." Karou goes on strange missions for her family, has blue hair, and draws dangerous creatures. She's not sure who she is or where she came from. When she meets Akiva, everything changes and then she learns a deep, dark secret about herself and doesn't know what to do with that knowledge.
Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural
Read this if you liked: Twilight, Wicked Lovely, Grave Mercy, City of Bones, Shiver, Chime
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
FIC-SUSPENSE NES
Thirteen-year-old Conor awakens one night to find a monster outside his bedroom window, but not the one from the recurring nightmare that began when his mother became ill--an ancient, wild creature that wants him to face truth and loss.
Horror, Paranormal
Read this if you liked: Monstrumologist, Last Summer of the Death Warriors, Far far away, This Dark Endeavor
Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green & David Levithan
FIC-REALISTIC GRE
When two teens, one gay and one straight, meet accidentally and discover that they share the same name, their lives become intertwined as one begins dating the other's best friend, who produces a play revealing his relationship with them both. - Goodreads
LGBTQ, Romance, Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Every Day, Simon Vs the Homo Sapiens Agenda, The Tiny Cooper Story, Boy Meets Boy
Matched by Allie Condie
FIC-DYSTOPIAN CON
Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her, so when Xander appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows he is her ideal mate--until Ky Markham's face appears for an instant before the screen fades to black.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Uglies, The Giver, The Program, Across the Universe, Divergent
FIC-SUPERNATURAL SHU
When Nick and Allie are killed in a car crash, they end up in Everlost, or limbo for lost souls, where although Nick is satisfied, Allie will stop at nothing--even skinjacking--to break free.
Supernatural
Read this if you liked: Human.4, Unwind, Dark Eden, Lockdown, Marlboro Lens
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
FIC-SUPERNATURAL RIG
A family tragedy sets 16-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. - Goodreads
Supernatural, Horror, Fantasy, Mystery
Read this if you liked: The Book of Lost Things, Anna Dressed in Blood, Hold me Closer Necromancer
FIC-STARRED-DYSTOPIAN SHU
In a future world where those between the ages of thirteen and eighteen can have their lives "unwound" and their body parts harvested for use by others, three teens go to extreme lengths to uphold their beliefs--and, perhaps, save their own lives. - Novelist
Science Fiction, Dystopian
Read this if you liked: The Adoration of Jenna Fox, The MARTians, Everlost, Feed, The 5th Wave
The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan
FIC-ROMANCE LEV
A modern love story told through a series of dictionary-style entries is a sequence of intimate windows into the large and small events that shape the course of a romantic relationship. - Novelist
Romance
Read this if you liked: Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Why We Broke Up, Invisibility, Zombies vs. Unicorns
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
FIC-SUPERNATURAL HAR
Discovering a magical manuscript in Oxford's library, scholar Diana Bishop, a descendant of witches who has rejected her heritage, inadvertently unleashes a fantastical underworld of daemons, witches and vampires whose activities center around an enchanted treasure - Goodreads
Supernatural, Fantasy, Romance
Read this if you liked: Daughter of Smoke and Bone, The Diviners, The Historian, The Thirteenth Tale
The Monstrumologist by Rick Yancy
FIC-STARRED YAN
In 1888 New England, monster-hunting doctor Pellinore Warthrop and his apprentice Will Henry encounter an Anthropophagus -- a headless, supposedly extinct monster that has teeth in its belly and feeds on humans -- and the two of them must track and kill an entire pod of the beasts. Alternately flowery and dripping with gore, the writing is lush and compelling and will scare your pants off. -- Description by Ellen Foreman.
Horror
Read this if you liked: The Name of the Star, The Knife of Never Letting Go, Anna Dressed in Blood
FIC-FANTASY SHU
When Brontë starts dating Bruiser – the guy voted “Most Likely to Get the Death Penalty” her twin brother, Tennyson, isn’t surprised. But then strange things begin to occur. Tennyson and Brontë’s scrapes heal unnaturally fast, and cuts disappear before their eyes. What at first seems like their good fortune turns out to be more than they bargained for. Novelist
Fantasy, Suspense
Read this if you liked: Num8ers, The Accident Season, A Monster Calls, The Gardner, Blank Confession
FIC-VERSE HOP
In Crank, Ellen Hopkins chronicles the disturbing relationship between Kristina, a character based on her own daughter, and the "monster," the highly addictive drug crystal meth, or "crank." Kristina is introduced to the drug while visiting her largely absent and father. While under the influence, Kristina discovers her sexy alter-ego, Bree. Bree will do all the things good girl Kristina won't, including attracting the attention of dangerous boys who can provide her with a steady flow of crank. - goodreads
Novels in Verse
Read this if you liked: Twisted, Cut, Stoner & Spaz, Go Ask Alice, Speak, Over the Meth Moon
FIC-SUPERNATURAL FOR
Mia speaks to you while she's in a coma, wandering around the hospital watching all the people who love her wait and hope that she wakes up. It's up to Mia to stay and fight through the pain of losing her family, or to just go onto death. She recounts stories of her life and all the good, and even bad times she's had.
Contemporary Fantasy
Read this if you liked: Before I Fall, The Sky is Everywhere, Everlost, Wintergirls, Before I Die
Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
FIC-STARRED ASH
Hannah commits suicide and makes tapes telling thirteen people why they are the thirteen reasons she did it. She sends the tapes to Clay, who spends the night listening to and distributing the tapes, and finds out why he made the list.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Hate List, Forgive me, Leonard Peacock, Looking for Alaska, Perfect
FIC-STARRED BRO
Sixteen-year-old Valerie, whose boyfriend Nick committed a school shooting at the end of their junior year, struggles to cope with integrating herself back into high school life, unsure herself whether she was a hero or a villain. - Novelist
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Thirteen Reasons Why, This is Where it Ends, Give a Boy a Gun, Finding Jake
Wintergirls by Laura Halse Anderson
FIC-REALISTIC AND
A look into the lives of girls with eating disorders and the lengths they will go to to stay thin. They are never thin enough and nothing will be good enough until they get to be a zero, double zero, and beyond.
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Believarexic, Go Ask Alice, Pointe, Twisted, Crank, Speak
FIC-REALISTIC AND
A traumatic event in the summer has a devastating effect on Melinda's freshman year of high school. She is an utterly believable heroine with a bitterly ironic voice and delivers a blow to the hypocritical world of high school. She speaks for many teenagers while demonstrating the importance of speaking up for oneself. - goodreads
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: Cut, Mockingbirds, Twisted, Thirteen Reasons Why, This is Where the World Ends
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
FIC-STARRED OLI
After she dies in a car crash, Samantha relives the day of her death over and over again until, on the seventh day, she finally discovers a way to save herself. She finally realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she ever imagined. - novelist
Realistic Fiction
Read this if you liked: If I Stay, The Future of Us, Looking for Alaska, Falling into Place
Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight
FIC-ADULT MCC
When her high-achieving 15-year-old daughter Amelia supposedly commits suicide after she is caught cheating, litigation lawyer and single mother Kate Baron, leveled by grief, must reconstruct the pieces of Amelia's life to find the truth and vindicate the memory of the daughter whose life she could not save. - novelist
Mystery
Read this if you liked: Finding Jake, Little Big Lies, Luckiest Girl Alive, Gone Girl, Girl on the Train
FIC-ADULT-STARRED FLY
It is Nick and Amy Dunne’s fifth wedding anniversary, but instead of a romantic dinner, Nick Dunne finds a disheveled living room and missing wife. Nick Dunne seems to be the prime suspect of the investigation. Through Amy’s journal diary entries, you see Amy’s past. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media Nick gets stuck in an endless series of lies. Find out where Amy is in this psychological thriller. ~ reviewed by Brooke Stellman
Mystery, Thriller
Read this if you liked: The Girl on the Train, Reconstructing Amelia, The Girl on the Train, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Silent Wife, In Cold Blood
The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
FIC-FANTASY CON
After his mother dies, David's only company are his books. He takes refuge in fairy tales but then when the books start to whisper to him, he finds himself violently propelled into an imaginary land in which the boundaries of fantasy and reality are disturbingly melded.
Fantasy, Horror
Read this if you liked: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, The Thirteenth Tale, The Night Circus
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
FIC-ADULT STE
When her health begins failing, the mysterious author Vida Winter decides to let Margaret Lea, a biographer, write the truth about her life, but Margaret needs to verify the facts since Vida has a history of telling outlandish tales. Both women will have to confront their pasts and the weight of family secrets... and the ghosts that haunt them still. -novelist
Mystery, Suspense
Read this if you liked: The Lake House, A Discovery of Witches, Rebecca, Bellman & Black, Book of Lost Things
FIC-DYSTOPIAN LU
In a dark future, when North America has split into two warring nations, fifteen-year-olds Day, a famous criminal, and prodigy June, the brilliant soldier hired to capture him, discover that they have a common enemy.
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Delirium, Drowned Cities, Proxy, Blue Screen, Divergent, Hunger Games
FIC-DYSTOPIAN CAS
Sixteen-year-old America Singer is living in the caste-divided nation of Illea, which formed after the war that destroyed the United States. America is chosen to compete in the Selection--a contest to see which girl can win the heart of Illea's prince--but all she really wants is a chance for a future with her secret love, Aspen, who is a caste below her--. Novelist
Dystopian
Read this if you liked: Matched, Crewel, Red Queen, Across the Universe
Maximum Ride by James Patterson
FIC-SCI-FI PAT
After the mutant Erasers abduct the youngest member of their group, the "birdkids," who are the result of genetic experimentation, take off in pursuit and find themselves struggling to understand their own origins and purpose.
Adventure, Sci Fi
Read this if you liked: Among the Hidden, Hunger Games, Unwind, The Enemy, Witch and Wizard
In October, 1942, seventeen-year-old Helmuth Hubener, imprisoned for distributing anti-Nazi leaflets, recalls his past life and how he came to dedicate himself to bring the truth about Hitler and the war to the German people. - Novelist
Historical Fiction
Read this if you liked: The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, The Book Thief, Sarah's Key
FIC-SUSPENSE HIG
After a disease turns everyone over sixteen into brainless, decomposing, flesh-eating creatures, a group of teenagers leave their shelter and set out of a harrowing journey across London to the safe haven of Buckingham Palace.
Horror, Suspense, Action
Read this if you liked: Plague, Enclave, Ashes, Dust and Decay, Marbury Lens
FIC-SCI-FI LON
Privileged teenager Sid has a proxy, Knox, who receives punishment for Syd's wrong doings, when Syd kills one of his friends in a car crash, it is Knox who is sentenced to death. When the two boys realize they must work together to beat the system they flee looking for answers.
Adventure, Science Fiction, Dystopian, LGBTQ
Read this if you liked: Coda, Feed, Legend, I Am Number Four, Legend
The Honeys by Ryan La Sala FIC-SUSPENSE LA
Mars, who is gender fluid, takes his sister Caroline's place at an exclusive summer camp after she dies a mysterious death. He goes there to see if he can find out what exactly happened to her. What he discovers is a mysterious group of girls who live at this camp essentially on their own, tending to their bee hives. He knows there is a connection, and it does come out in the end in a gruesome way. Mars is continually defending his actions, his right to be his own person, but ultra conservative Aspen Academy only wants conformity.
Horror, Thriller
Read this if you liked: The Weight of Blood, I Will Find You Again, Ace of Spades, Broken Things